Editing Zero Mostel

{{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>

== Early life ==
Mostel was born in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]] to Israel Mostel and Tzina Druchs (also spelled Cina, known as Celia), both [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi Jewish]] emigrants from [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]].

His father was born in {{ill|Dev'yatnyky|uk|Дев'ятники|lt=Dziewiętniki}},<ref name="imm">''New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820–1957''</ref><ref>''U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007''</ref> then in [[Austria-Hungary]], later in Poland, and now in [[Lviv Oblast]], Ukraine.<ref>''[[1920 United States census]]''</ref><ref name="1930 United States census">''[[1930 United States census]]''</ref> He immigrated to the United States in 1898 with his first wife, Esther Wirklich Mostel, and young daughter, Celia. They would have three more children – Hyman, Sarah (Sadie), and Benjamin – before her death in 1908.<ref>''[[1910 United States census]]''</ref>

His mother, Tzina, grew up in [[Vienna|Vienna, Austria]], and immigrated in 1906.<ref name="imm"/> Israel had five more children with Tzina: Morris, Milton, Aaron, Samuel (later known as Zero), and William.<ref name="1930 United States census"/>

As a child, he earned the nickname "Zero" from his classmates to match his poor grades.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mostel |first1=Zero |title=My Favorite Jokes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/233423880/?match=1&terms=zero%20mostel%20samuel%20joel |access-date=June 30, 2024 |work=Daily Press |date=September 24, 1967 |page=111 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He kept the moniker when he went into show business, though his mother hated it.<!-- His mother did not give him the name --><ref>{{cite news |title=That Zero – He's the Most |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/148621986/?match=1&terms=zero%20mostel%20nickname%20samuel |access-date=June 30, 2024 |work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |date=April 26, 1967 |page=86 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Initially living in the [[Brownsville, Brooklyn|Brownsville]] section of Brooklyn, the family moved to [[Moodus, Connecticut]], where they bought a farm. The family's income in those days came from a winery and a slaughterhouse. The farm failed, and the family moved back to [[New York City|New York]], where his father obtained work as a wine chemist. Zero was described by his family as outgoing and lively, and with a developed sense of humor. He showed an intelligence and perception which convinced his father he had the makings of a [[rabbi]],<ref name="life1943" /> but Zero preferred painting and drawing, a passion he retained for life.

According to Roger Butterfield, Zero's mother sent him to the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] to copy paintings while dressed in a velvet suit. Zero had a favorite painting, [[John White Alexander]]'s ''[[commons:File:Study in Black and Green.JPG|Study in Black and Green]]'', which he copied every day, to the delight of the gallery crowds. One afternoon, while a crowd was watching over his velvet-clad shoulder, he solemnly copied the whole painting upside down, delighting his audience.<ref name="life1943">{{cite magazine |last=Butterfield |first=Roger |date=January 18, 1943 |title=Zero Mostel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mE4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|LIFE]] |publisher=[[Henry Luce]] |access-date=July 13, 2017 }}</ref>

In addition to English, Zero Mostel spoke [[Yiddish]], Italian, and German.{{citation needed| date= July 2019}} He attended Public School 188, where he was an A student.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} He also received professional training as a painter through [[The Educational Alliance]]. He completed his high school education at [[Seward Park Campus|Seward Park High School]],<ref name="NYT-Obituary">{{cite news |author-link=Robert D. McFadden |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |date= September 9, 1977 |title=Zero Mostel Dies of Heart Failure at 62 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/09/archives/zero-mostel-dies-of-heart-failure-at-62-zero-mostel-is-dead-at-62.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=July 14, 2017 }}</ref> where his yearbook noted: "A future [[Rembrandt]]... or perhaps a comedian?".{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} He attended the [[City College of New York]], a public college that allowed many poor students to pursue higher education. He later claimed that he was on the swimming team and the [[Reserve Officers Training Corps]], though the claim is dubious.<ref>Brown, p. 12</ref> As only beginner classes were available in art, Mostel took them repeatedly to be able to paint and receive professional feedback.<ref name="NYT-Obituary" /> During the time he worked odd jobs. He graduated in 1935 with a bachelor's degree. He then continued studying towards a master's degree at [[New York University]] before leaving after a year to find work.<ref name="NYT-Obituary" /> He then joined the [[Public Works of Art Project]] (PWAP), which paid him a stipend to teach art.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

In 1939, he married Clara Sverd, and the couple moved to an apartment in Brooklyn. The marriage did not last, however, since Clara could not accept the many hours Mostel spent in his studio with his fellow artists, and he did not seem to be able to provide for her at the level to which she had been accustomed. They separated in 1941 and divorced in 1944, Clara only agreeing to the divorce in return for a percentage of Mostel's earnings for the rest of his life. The arrangement lasted until the mid-1950s.<ref>Brown, p. 50</ref>

== Career ==

=== Early comic routines ===
[[File:Zeromostel.jpg|thumb|Mostel as Leopold Bloom in ''[[Ulysses in Nighttown]]'' in 1958]]
Part of Mostel's duty with the [[Public Works of Art Project]] (PWAP) was to give gallery talks at New York's museums.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

In 1941, the [[Café Society]], a downtown [[Manhattan]] nightclub, hired Mostel as a professional comedian to play regularly there, where he adopted the stage name Zero.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

=== Rise ===
Mostel's rise professionally was rapid. In 1942, his salary at the Café Society went up from $40 a week to $450; he appeared on radio shows, opened in two [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] shows (''Keep Them Laughing'', ''Top-Notchers''), played at the [[Paramount Theater (New York City)|Paramount Theatre]], appeared in an [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] movie (''[[DuBarry Was a Lady (film)|Du Barry Was a Lady]]''), and booked into ''[[La Martinique]]'' at $4,000 a week. He also made [[cameo appearance]]s at the [[Yiddish theatre]], which influenced his performance style. In 1943 ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine described him as "just about the funniest American now living".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Butterfield |first=Roger |date=January 18, 1943 |title=Zero Mostel |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mE4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 |magazine=Life |access-date=March 2, 2017 |page=61}}</ref> In March 1943, Mostel was drafted by the [[United States Army|US Army]]. Although he gave varying accounts of his Army service, records show he was honorably discharged in August 1943 because of an unspecified physical disability. He entertained servicemen giving [[United Service Organizations|USO]] performances until 1945.<ref>Brown, pp. 36–39</ref>

Mostel married [[Kate Mostel|Kathryn (Kate) Cecilia Harkin]], an actress and dancer, on July 2, 1944, after two years of courtship. The pair met at [[Radio City Music Hall]] where she was a [[Rockette]].<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/23/obituaries/kate-mostel-dies-at-67-an-actress-and-author.html|title=Kate Mostel Dies at 67; An Actress and author| date= January 23, 1986|work=The New York Times| access-date=April 17, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The marriage caused problems in his relationship with his [[Orthodox Jew]]ish parents: his new wife was not Jewish. His mother never met Kate or her grandsons.<ref name="Sainer" />{{rp|89}} The marriage had problems at times, again mostly due to Mostel's spending most of his time in his art studio. Their relationship was described by friends of the family as complicated, with many fights but having mutual adoration. The couple stayed together until Mostel's death; they had two children, film actor [[Josh Mostel]] in 1946 and Tobias in 1948. After Zero's discharge from the Army, his career resumed. He appeared in a series of plays, musicals, operas, and movies. In 1946 he even made an attempt at serious operatic acting in ''[[The Beggar's Opera]]'', but received lukewarm reviews. He sang the title role in a short film of [[Puccini]]'s comic opera ''[[Gianni Schicchi]]''. Critics saw him as a versatile performer.

Zero Mostel made notable appearances on New York City television in the late 1940s. He had his own show in 1948 called ''[[Off the Record (TV series)|Off The Record]]'' on [[WNYW|WABD]] with comedian partner [[Joey Faye]]. Simultaneously, Mostel had a live TV show on [[WPIX]], ''Channel Zero''. He also appeared in the May 11, 1949 ''[[Toast of the Town]]'' broadcast hosted by [[Ed Sullivan]].

=== Blacklist years and HUAC testimony ===
Mostel had been a leftist since college and his nightclub routine included political jabs at right-wingers. His MGM contract was terminated, and his role in ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' was truncated, because studio executives were upset that he participated in protests against another MGM film, ''[[Tennessee Johnson]]'', which protesters believed had downplayed the racism of former US President [[Andrew Johnson]].<ref>Brown, pp. 35–36</ref> According to biographer Arthur Sainer, "MGM blacklisted Zero Mostel way before the days of the blacklist".<ref name= Sainer>Sainer, Arthur. ''Zero Dances: a Biography of Zero Mostel'', Hal Leonard Corp. (1998)</ref>{{rp|186}} During his Army service he was under investigation for alleged Communist Party membership. The Military Intelligence Division of the [[United States Department of War|U.S. War Department]] said it was "reliably reported" that he was a Communist Party member.<ref>Brown, pp. 41–44</ref> The Post Intelligence Officer at the Army's Camp Croft, where Mostel served, believed that Mostel was "definitely a Communist." As a result of that, his application to be an entertainment director with the US Army Special Services unit was denied. Mostel had lobbied hard to transfer to [[Special Services (entertainment)|Special Services]], at one point traveling to Washington to request a transfer.<ref>Brown, p. 38</ref>

It was not until 1950 that Mostel again acted in movies, for a role in the Oscar-winning film ''[[Panic in the Streets (film)|Panic in the Streets]]'', at the request of its director, [[Elia Kazan]]. Kazan describes his attitude and feelings during that period, where
:Each director has a favorite in his cast... my favorite this time was Zero Mostel—but not to bully. I thought him an extraordinary artist and a delightful companion, one of the funniest and most original men I'd ever met... I constantly sought his company... He was one of the three people whom I rescued from the "industry's" blacklist... For a long time, Zero had not been able to get work in films, but I got him in my film."<ref>Kazan, Elia. ''Elia Kazan: A Life'', Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (1988) p. 383</ref>

Mostel played supporting roles in five movies for [[20th Century Fox|Twentieth Century Fox]] in 1950, all in films released in 1951. Fox then abruptly cancelled his contract. Mostel learned this after he was lent out to [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] for a film role but not permitted on the set. The studio may have received word that he was about to be named as a Communist in Congressional testimony.<ref>Brown, pp.98–99</ref>

On January 29, 1952, [[Martin Berkeley]] identified Mostel to the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC) as having been a member of the [[Communist]] Party. After the testimony he was effectively blacklisted. He was subpoenaed to appear before HUAC on August 14, 1955. Mostel declined to name names and jousted with the members of Congress, invoked the Fifth Amendment, while standing up for his right to the privacy of his personal political beliefs.<ref>Brown, pp.&nbsp;127–131</ref> His testimony won him admiration in the blacklisted community, and in addition to not naming names he also confronted the committee on ideological matters, something that was rarely done. Among other things, he referred to Twentieth Century Fox as "18th Century Fox" (due to its collaboration with the committee), and manipulated the committee members to make them appear foolish.<ref name="wark">{{cite book |last1=Wark |first1=Colin |last2=Galliher |first2=John F. |date=April 23, 2015 |title=Progressive Lawyers under Siege: Moral Panic during the McCarthy Years |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5zlCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=[[Lexington Books]] |page=16 |isbn=978-0-7391-9560-4 }}</ref> Mostel later commented: "What did they think I was going to do – sell acting secrets to the Russians?"{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

{{Quote box
 |title = Segment of Zero Mostel's testimony before HUAC
 |quote = [[Donald L. Jackson|MR. JACKSON]]: [[Francis E. Walter|Mr. Chairman]], may I say that I can think of no greater way to parade one's political beliefs than to appear under the auspices of Mainstream, a Communist publication...

MR. MOSTEL: I appreciate your opinion very much, but I do want to say that – I don't know, you know – I still stand on pay grounds, and maybe it is unwise and unpolitic of me to say this. If I appeared there, what if I did an imitation of a butterfly at rest? There is no crime in making anybody laugh ... I don't care if you laugh at me.

MR. JACKSON: If your interpretation of a butterfly at rest brought any money into the coffers of the Communist Party, you contributed directly to the propaganda effort of the Communist Party.

MR. MOSTEL: Suppose I had the urge to do the butterfly at rest somewhere.

[[Clyde Doyle|MR. DOYLE]]: Yes, but please, when you have the urge, don't have such an urge to put the butterfly at rest by putting money in the Communist Party coffers as a result of that urge to put the butterfly at rest.
 |source = HUAC Hearing, Oct. 14, 1955.
 |align = right
 |width = 500px
}}

The admiration he received for his testimony did nothing to take him off the blacklist and the family had to struggle throughout the 1950s with little income. Mostel used this time to work in his studio. Later he said that he cherished those years for the time it had afforded him to do what he loved most. Mostel's appearance before the HUAC (as well as others) was incorporated into [[Eric Bentley]]'s 1972 play ''Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...?'' During this period he also appeared in many regional productions of shows like ''Peter Pan'' (as Captain Hook) and ''Kismet'' (as the Wazir), with his name seen prominently in the advertising.

=== ''Ulysses in Nighttown'' and career revival ===
In 1957, Toby Cole, a New York theatrical agent who strongly opposed the blacklist, contacted Mostel and asked to represent him. Mostel agreed, and the partnership led to the revival of Mostel's career and made him a household name. He accepted the role of Leopold Bloom in ''[[Ulysses in Nighttown]]'', a play based on the novel ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'', which he had greatly admired in his youth. It was an [[Off-Off-Broadway]] play produced in a small [[Houston Street (Manhattan)|Houston Street]] theater, but the reviews he received were overwhelmingly favorable. Most notably, ''[[Newsweek]]''{{'}}s Jack Kroll compared him to [[Laurence Olivier]], writing, "Something unbelievable happened. A fat comedian named Zero Mostel gave a performance that was even more astonishing than Olivier's". Mostel received the [[Obie award]] for best [[Off Broadway]] performance of the 1958–59 season. After the success of ''Ulysses'', Mostel received many offers to appear in classic roles, especially abroad; he declined the offers because of artistic differences with the directors and the low salaries associated with the roles. By that time the effects of the blacklist were lessening, and in 1959 and 1961 he appeared in two episodes of TV's ''The Play of the Week''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Waiting For Godot (Play of the Week) |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/films/waiting-for-godot-play-of-the-week/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Film at Lincoln Center |language=en}}</ref>

=== 1960s and height of career ===
[[File:Zero Mostel - still.jpg|thumb|left|Mostel, c. 1960]]
On January 13, 1960, while exiting a taxi on his way back from rehearsals for the play ''The Good Soup'', Mostel was hit by a number 18 (now the M86) 86th Street crosstown bus, and his leg was crushed. The doctors wanted to amputate the leg, which would have ended his stage career. Mostel refused, accepting the risk of [[gangrene]], and remained hospitalized for four months. The injury took a huge toll; for the rest of his life, the massively-scarred leg gave him pain and required frequent rests and baths. He sought compensation for the injury by retaining the famous [[Harry Lipsig]] (the 5'3" self-described "King of Torts") as his attorney. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum. From this time forward, whenever he attended the [[Metropolitan Opera]], Mostel carried a cane to go along with the cape that he also favored.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Later in the year Mostel took on the role of [[Estragon]] in a TV adaptation of ''[[Waiting for Godot]].'' In 1961, he played Jean in ''[[Rhinoceros (play)|Rhinoceros]]'' to very favorable reviews. ''[[The New Republic]]'s'' Robert Brustein said that he had "a great dancer's control of movement, a great actor's control of voice, a great mime's control of facial expressions." His transition onstage from man to rhinoceros became a thing of legend; he won his first [[Tony Award]] for Best Actor, even though he was not in the lead role. In 1962 Mostel began work on the role of Pseudolus in the Broadway musical ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]],'' which was to be one of his best-remembered roles. The role of Pseudolus was originally offered to [[Phil Silvers]], who declined it, saying he did not want to do this "old shtick". Mostel did not originally want to do the role either, which he thought below his capabilities, but was convinced by his wife and agent. The reviews were excellent, and, after a few slow weeks after which the play was partially rewritten with a new opening song, "Comedy Tonight", which became the play's most popular piece, the show became a great commercial success, running 964 performances and conferring star status on Mostel (he also won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role). [[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)|A film version]] was produced in 1966, also starring Mostel – and Silvers.

In 1964, he was a narrator for the [[Naumburg Orchestral Concerts]], in the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, in the summer series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naumburg Orchestral Concerts |url=https://naumburgconcerts.org/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Naumburg Orchestral Concerts |language=en-US}}</ref>

On September 22, 1964, Mostel opened as Tevye in the original Broadway production of ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]].'' Because of Mostel's respect for the works of [[Sholem Aleichem]] he insisted that more of the author's mood and style be incorporated into the musical, and he made major contributions to its shape. He also created the [[Hazzan|cantorial]] sounds made famous in the song "[[If I Were a Rich Man (song)|If I Were a Rich Man]]". ''The New York Times'' wrote "Zero Mostel's Tevye is so penetrating and heartwarming that you all but forget that it is a performance."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taubman |first1=Howard |author1-link=Howard Taubman |title=For Better of For Worse: Unaware of Limitations, Popular Musical Theater Turns To Unusual Themes — 'Fiddler' Brings One Off |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/10/04/97278688.html?pageNumber=451 |access-date=March 10, 2023 |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 4, 1964}}</ref> In later years, the actors who followed Mostel in the role of Tevye invariably followed his staging. The show received rave reviews and was a great commercial success, running 3,242 performances, a record at the time. Mostel received a [[Tony Award]] for it and was invited to a reception in the [[White House]], officially ending his status as a political pariah.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Mostel in 1967 appeared as Potemkin in ''[[Great Catherine (film)|Great Catherine]]''. He was due to co-star with [[Julie Newmar]] in ''Monsieur Lecoq'' filmed in France and the U.K., but the film was never completed.<ref>pp. 158-159 Pitts, Michael R. ''Famous Movie Detectives II''   Scarecrow Press 1 December 2004</ref> In the same year he took the role of Max Bialystock in ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]].'' Mostel refused to accept the role of Max at first, but director [[Mel Brooks]] persuaded him to show the script to his wife, who then talked Mostel into doing it. His performance originally received mixed reviews, and the film overall was not a great success at the time of its release. The comedy, however, has since achieved classic status in the decades after its premiere. Reflecting on that rising popularity, [[Roger Ebert]], longtime critic for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', wrote in 2000, "This is one of the funniest movies ever made", adding that Mostel's performance "is a masterpiece of low comedy."<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert |first=Roger |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-producers-1968 |title=The Producers movie review & film summary (1968) |publisher=Roger Ebert |date=July 23, 2000 |access-date=October 21, 2019}}</ref>

He lived in a large rented apartment in [[The Belnord]] on the [[Upper West Side]] of Manhattan and built a summer house on Monhegan Island in Maine.<ref name=belnord>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecityreview.com/uws/bway/belnord.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040503071527/http://www.thecityreview.com/uws/bway/belnord.html |archive-date=2004-05-03 |title=The Upper West Side Book: The Belnord |author=Carter B. Horsley |date=March 30, 2010 |access-date=2023-09-17}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Last years ==
[[File:Zero Mostel actor on the set of Fore play cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Zero Mostel in 1973 on the set of the film ''[[Fore Play]]'']]
In his last decade, Mostel's star dimmed as he appeared in movies that were received with indifference by both critics and the general audience. These titles include ''[[The Great Bank Robbery (1969 film)|The Great Bank Robbery]]'' and ''[[Once Upon a Scoundrel]]''. In the 1970s, he often played supporting rather than lead roles.

His more notable films in these years include the movie version of ''Rhinoceros'' (appearing with his ''Producers'' costar [[Gene Wilder]]), ''[[The Hot Rock (film)|The Hot Rock]]'' and ''[[The Front]]'' (where he played Hecky Brown, a blacklisted performer whose story bears a similarity to Mostel's own, and for which he was nominated for a [[BAFTA Award]] for Best Supporting Actor). Screenwriter [[Walter Bernstein]] loosely based the character of Hecky Brown on television actor [[Philip Loeb]], who was a friend of Mostel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/92476 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117181544/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/92476%7C0/The-Front.html |archive-date=2012-01-17 |title=The Front |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=May 21, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On Broadway, he starred in revivals of ''Ulysses in Nighttown'' (receiving a Tony nomination for Best Actor) and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. He also made memorable appearances in children's shows such as ''[[Sesame Street]]'', ''[[The Electric Company]]'' (for which he performed the Spellbinder in the Letterman cartoons), and gave voice to the boisterous seagull [[Kehaar]] in the animated film ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]''. He also appeared as a guest star during Season 2 of ''[[List of The Muppet Show episodes#Season 2 (1977–1978)|''The Muppet Show'']]'',<ref name=muppet>{{cite book|last1=Garlen|first1=Jennifer C.|last2=Graham|first2=Anissa M.|title=Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets|year=2009|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-7864-4259-1|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Rac9xis0BIgC&pg=PA218 218] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rac9xis0BIgC}}</ref> taped during mid-1977 and broadcast after his death.

=== Death ===
In the last four months of his life, Mostel took on a nutritionally unsound diet (later described by his friends as a starvation diet) that reduced his weight from {{Convert|304|lb|kg}} to {{convert|215|lb|kg}}. During rehearsals for [[Arnold Wesker]]'s new play ''[[The Merchant (play)|The Merchant]]'' (in which Mostel played a reimagined version of Shakespeare's [[Shylock]]) in [[Philadelphia]], he collapsed in his dressing room and was taken to [[Thomas Jefferson University Hospital]]. He was diagnosed with a respiratory disorder; it was believed he was in no danger and would be released soon. However, on September 8, 1977, Mostel complained of dizziness and lost consciousness. The attending physicians were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead that evening. It is believed that he suffered an [[aortic aneurysm]].<ref>Weil, Martin. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/09%2F10/acotr-zero-mostel-dies/97f111fa-573b-480e-8724-02e056f5cf0a/ "Actor Zero Mostel Dies"] ''The Washington Post'', September 10, 1977</ref> Wesker wrote a book chronicling the out-of-town tribulations that beset the play and culminated in Zero's death called ''The Birth of Shylock and the Death of Zero Mostel''.<ref>Kaufman, David. [http://partners.nytimes.com/books/99/08/29/bib/990829.rv020304.html "Review. ''The Birth Of Shylock And The Death Of Zero Mostel'' by Arnold Wesker"] ''The New York Times'', August 29, 1999</ref>

In accordance with his final requests, his family did not stage any funeral or other memorial service. Mostel was cremated following his death; the location of his ashes is not publicly known.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/48895399/ "Mostel cremated at secret site"] ''The Ottawa Journal'', p. 5, September 10, 1977</ref>

== Professional relationships ==
Mostel often collided with directors and other performers in the course of his professional career. He was described as irreverent, believing himself to be a comic genius (many critics agreed with him) and showed little patience for incompetence. He often improvised, which was received well by audiences but which often left other performers (who were not prepared for his ad-libbed lines) confused and speechless during live performances. He often dominated the stage whether or not his role called for it. [[Norman Jewison]] stated this as a reason for preferring [[Chaim Topol]] for the role of Tevye in the [[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|movie version of ''Fiddler on the Roof'']]. Mostel took exception to these criticisms:{{blockquote|There's a kind of silliness in the theater about what one contributes to a show. The producer obviously contributes the money… but must the actor contribute nothing at all? I'm not a modest fellow about those things. I contribute a great deal. And they always manage to hang you for having an interpretation. Isn't [the theater] where your imagination should flower? Why must it always be dull as shit?<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/mostel_z.html |title=PBS.org |publisher=PBS |access-date=October 16, 2010 |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601141516/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/mostel_z.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

Other producers, such as [[Jerome Robbins]] and [[Hal Prince]], preferred to hire Mostel on short contracts, knowing that he would become less faithful to the script as time went on. His exuberant personality, though largely responsible for his success, had also intimidated others in his profession and prevented him from receiving some important roles.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} In his autobiography ''Kiss Me Like a Stranger'', actor [[Gene Wilder]] describes being initially terrified of Mostel. However, just after being introduced, Mostel got up, walked over to Wilder, hugged him, and planted a big kiss on his lips. Wilder claims to be grateful to Mostel for teaching him such a valuable lesson, and for picking Wilder up every day so that they could ride to work together. He also tells the story of a dinner celebrating the release of ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]''. Mostel switched Wilder's place card with [[Dick Shawn]]'s, allowing Wilder to sit at the main table. Mostel and Wilder later worked together in ''[[Rhinoceros (play)|Rhinoceros]]'' and the Letterman cartoons for the children's show ''[[The Electric Company]]''. The two remained close friends until Mostel's death.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Mostel was the subject of the 2006 retrospective play ''[[Zero Hour (play)|Zero Hour]]'', written and performed by actor/playwright [[Jim Brochu]]. The play recounts events from Mostel's life and career, including his HUAC testimony, his professional relationships, and his theatrical work.

== Acting credits ==
=== Filmography ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Notes
|-
|1943 || ''[[Du Barry Was a Lady (film)|Du Barry Was a Lady]]'' || Rami, the Swami/Taliostra ||
|-
|1950 || ''[[Panic in the Streets (1950)|Panic in the Streets]]'' || Raymond Fitch ||
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1951 || ''[[The Enforcer (1951 film)|The Enforcer]]'' || Big Babe Lazick ||
|-
| ''[[Sirocco (film)|Sirocco]]'' || Balukjiaan ||
|-
| ''[[Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell]]'' || Emmett ||
|-
| ''[[The Guy Who Came Back]]'' || Boots Mullins ||
|-
| ''[[The Model and the Marriage Broker]]'' || George Wixted ||
|-
|1966 || ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)|A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' || Pseudolus ||
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1967 || ''Children of the Exodus'' || Narrator || short film
|-
| '' Monsieur Lecoq'' || Max Lecoq
|-
| ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]'' || Max Bialystock ||
|-
|1968 || ''[[Great Catherine (film)|Great Catherine]]'' || Potemkin ||
|-
|1969 || ''[[The Great Bank Robbery (1969 film)|The Great Bank Robbery]]'' || Rev. Pious Blue ||
|-
|1970 || ''[[The Angel Levine]]'' || Morris Mishkin ||
|-
|1972 || ''[[The Hot Rock (film)|The Hot Rock]]'' || Abe Greenberg ||
|-
|1973 || ''[[Marco (1973 film)|Marco]]'' || Kublai Khan ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1974 || ''[[Rhinoceros (film)|Rhinoceros]]'' || John ||
|-
| ''[[Once Upon a Scoundrel]]'' || Carlos del Refugio ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1975 || ''[[Fore Play]]'' || President/Don Pasquale ||
|-
| ''[[Journey into Fear (1975 film)|Journey into Fear]]'' || Kopelkin ||
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1976 || ''[[Mastermind (1976 film)|Mastermind]]'' || Inspector Hoku Ichihara ||
|-
| ''[[The Front]]'' || Hecky Brown ||
|-
| ''[[Hollywood on Trial]]'' || Himself || Documentary
|-
|1978 || ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' || Kehaar (voice) || Final film role; <br /> released posthumously
|-
|1979 || ''[[Best Boy (film)|Best Boy]]'' || Himself || Documentary
|}

=== Television ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Notes
|-
|1948 || ''[[Off the Record (TV series)|Off the Record]]'' || Performer || 2 episodes
|-
|1949 || ''[[Ford Theatre]]'' || Banjo || Episode: The Man Who Came to Dinner
|-
|1959 || ''Zero Mostel'' || Various Characters || Television Movie
|-
|1959 || ''[[The Play of the Week]]'' || Melamed || ''The World of Sholom Aleichem''
|-
|1961 || ''[[The Play of the Week]]'' || Estragon || ''[[Waiting for Godot]]''
|-
|1970 || ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]'' || Guest Performer || 2 episodes
|-
|1971 || ''[[The Flip Wilson Show]]'' || Guest Performer || 1 episode
|-
|1972-1977 || ''[[The Electric Company]]'' || Spell Binder (voice) || 650 episodes
|-
|1976 || ''[[The Little Drummer Boy, Book II]]'' || Brutus (voice) || Television Special
|-
|1977 || ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' || Himself – Guest Star || Season 2 Episode 2 <br /> aired posthumously released<ref name=muppet />
|-
|}

=== Stage ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" |Venue
|-
|1942 || ''[[Cafe Crown]]'' || Patron || [[James Earl Jones Theatre|Cort Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1942 || ''Keep 'em Laughing'' || Performer || rowspan=2|[[44th Street Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1942 || ''Top-Notchers'' || Performer
|-
|1945 || ''Concert Varieties'' || Performer || [[Ziegfeld Theatre (1927)|Ziegfeld Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1946 || ''[[Beggar's Holiday]]'' || Hamilton Peachum || [[Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)|Broadway Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1952 || ''[[Flight into Egypt]]'' || Glubb || [[Music Box Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1954 || ''[[Lunatics and Lovers]]'' || Dan Cupid <br /> (replaced [[Buddy Hackett]]) || [[Broadhurst Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1956 || ''[[The Good Person of Szechwan|The Good Women of Szechwan]]'' || Mr. Shu Fu || [[Phoenix Theatre (New York City)|Phoenix Theatre]], Off-Broadway
|-
|1957 || ''Good as Gold'' || Doc Penny || [[Belasco Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1958 || ''[[Ulysses in Nighttown]]'' || Leopold Bloom || Rooftop Theatre, Off-Broadway
|-
|1960 || ''The Good Soup'' || The Croupier || [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1961 || ''[[Rhinoceros (play)|Rhinoceros]]'' || John || [[Longacre Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1962 || ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' || Prologus/Pseudolus || [[Alvin Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1964 || ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'' || Tevye || [[Imperial Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1971 || ''Fiddler on the Roof'' || Tevye || [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1974 || ''[[Ulysses in Nighttown]]'' || Leopold Bloom || Rooftop Theatre, Off-Broadway
|-
|1976 || ''Fiddler on the Roof'' || Tevye || [[Winter Garden Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|}

=== Bibliography ===
* ''Zero Mostel Reads A Book'' Photographs by [[Robert Frank]] (New York Times, 1963)
* ''Zero Mostel's Book of Villains'' [with [[Israel Shenker]], photographs by Alex Gotfryd] (Doubleday, 1976)

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Award
!Category
!Work
!Result
|-
| [[15th Tony Awards|1961]]
| rowspan="3"|[[Tony Award]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play]]
| ''[[Rhinoceros (play)|Rhinoceros]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[17th Tony Awards|1963]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical]]
| ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[19th Tony Awards|1965]]
| rowspan="2"|''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Outer Critics Circle Award]]
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical
| {{won}}
|-
| 1967
| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan=2|Male New Face
| {{draw|7th place}}
|-
| 1969
| [[Golden Globe Award]]s
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
| ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[28th Tony Awards|1974]]
| [[Tony Award]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play]]
| rowspan="2"|''[[Ulysses in Nighttown]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award]]
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play|Outstanding Actor in a Play]]
| {{won}}
|-
| 1978
| [[British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| ''[[The Front]]''
| {{nom}}
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* ''Zero Mostel: a Biography'' (1989), Jared Brown, Atheneum, NY ({{ISBN|0-689-11955-0}})
* Isenberg, Barbara (2014). ''Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World's Most Beloved Musical''. New York: St. Martin's Press. {{ISBN|978-0-312-59142-7}}.

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0609216}}
* {{IBDB name|68385}}
* {{IOBDB name|31937}}
* {{Playbill person|zero-mostel-vault-0000031762}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021211231202/http://geocities.com/Broadway/Lobby/4320/zbio.html Zero Mostel] at the [[University of Wisconsin]]'s [https://web.archive.org/web/20140502211533/http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives%3Bview%3Dreslist%3Bsubview%3Dstandard%3Bdidno%3Duw-whs-tape00339a Actors Studio audio collection]
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{cite web |url=http://geocities.com/Broadway/Lobby/4320/zbio.html |title=Zero Mostel |access-date=March 18, 2006 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021211231202/http://geocities.com/Broadway/Lobby/4320/zbio.html |archive-date=December 11, 2002 }}
* {{cite magazine |title=Zero Mostel interview |url=https://classic.esquire.com/article/1962/2/1/zero |magazine=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |date=February 1, 1962|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114070322/https://classic.esquire.com/article/1962/2/1/zero |archive-date=November 14, 2020 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040603205640/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/84588.html Playbill article including a Mostel Who's Who entry]
* [https://archive.org/stream/investigationofc558unit/investigationofc558unit_djvu.txt Mostel Testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Zero Mostel
|list =
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActor 1947–1975}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor 1947–1975}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

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