Editing Zero Mostel (section)

{{Short description|American actor (1915–1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Zero Mostel
| image        = Zero Mostel - Fiddler.JPG
| caption      = Zero Mostel as [[Tevye]]
| birth_name   = Samuel Joel Mostel
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1915|2|28}}
| birth_place  = [[Brooklyn]], New York City, U.S.
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1977|9|8|1915|2|28}}
| death_place  = [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, U.S.
| alma_mater   = [[City College of New York]]<br />[[New York University]]
| occupation   = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|singer}}
| years_active = 1941–1977
| spouse       = {{unbulleted list
| {{marriage|Clara Sverd|1939|1944|end=divorced}}
|{{marriage|[[Kate Mostel|Kate Harkin]]|1944}}}}
| children     = 2, including [[Josh Mostel|Josh]]
}}

'''Samuel Joel''' "'''Zero'''" '''Mostel''' (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of comic characters including [[Tevye]] on stage in ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'', Pseudolus on stage and on screen in ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', and [[Max Bialystock]] in the original film version of [[Mel Brooks]]' ''[[The Producers (1968 film)|The Producers]]'' (1967). Mostel was a student of [[Don Richardson (director)|Don Richardson]] and he used an acting technique based on [[muscle memory]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Heller|first=Brad|title=Approach|url=http://www.thehellerapproach.com/non-method-acting-approach/|publisher=The Heller Approach|access-date=July 9, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208133510/http://www.thehellerapproach.com/non-method-acting-approach/|archive-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Brennan|first=Sandra|title=Don Richardson|url=http://movies.amctv.com/person/150707/Don-Richardson/details|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116213927/http://movies.amctv.com/person/150707/Don-Richardson/details|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 16, 2013|publisher=amctv.com|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Schlosberg III|first=Richard|title=Don Richardson; Director, Acting Teacher|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-19-me-26523-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref> He was [[Hollywood blacklist|blacklisted]] during the 1950s; his testimony before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] was well publicized. Mostel later starred in the [[Hollywood Blacklist]] drama film ''[[The Front]]'' (1976) alongside [[Woody Allen]], for which Mostel was nominated for the [[British Academy Film Award]] for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Supporting Actor]].

Mostel was an [[Obie Award]] and three-time [[Tony Award]] winner. He is also a member of the [[American Theater Hall of Fame]], inducted posthumously in 1979.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/19/archives/theater-hall-of-fame-enshrines-51-artists-great-things-and-blank.html|title=Theater Hall of Fame Enshrines 51 Artists|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 19, 1979|access-date=February 6, 2019}}</ref>