Zero Mostel

There aren't too many Z entries to be had, so forgive my changing from surname to first name for this entry.
The name "Zero" should inspire special treatment and my entry at the letter 'z' was an especially funny man.
Sadly 'Zero' isn't any kind of abbreviation of a name given to him by his Eastern European born parents, it's a nickname devised by a press agent, his real name was Samuel.
Probably now best remembered for his role in The Producers, Mostel was a big Broadway star and was the first actor on Broadway to play the part of Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof, a part he played many times between from its launch in 1964 to just a few months before his death in 1977.
Born in New York, Mostel studied art and whilst giving humurous talks around New York art galleries and museums he was approached to have a regular comedy spot at a Manhattan nightclub. The press officer for that club, the "Cafe Society" gave Mostel the name Zero and the tag "here's a man who made something out of nothing".
Mostel had several early TV appearances which led to Life magazine labelling him in 1943 as 'just about the funniest American now living'. Mostel's career halted throughout the majority of the 1950s due to being blacklisted by The House of UnAmerican Activity. Whilst I know some about this there are more knowledgeable entries than mine ever could be about this period. Mostel was unco-operative with the committee. His blacklisting seems to have hit him harder than others who were similarly treated and he reverted to painting to earn a living.
His eventual return to the theatre was in the award winning Ulysees in 1958. This led on to more theatre work including A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum (a role in which he recreated for cinema) and Fiddler On The Roof. TV work also returned, starring as Estragon opposite Burgess Meredith in Waiting for Godot.
He initially turned down the role as Max Bialystock in The Producers, Mel Brooks asked him to show the script to his wife who then persuaded him to do it. Mostel was often criticised for his over the top and show stealing stage performances, a criticism he vigorously defended, never having seen a stage performance, I can only judge from film. His 'scene stealing' in The Producers was exactly what the role called for, I don't think the role was bettered or even equalled by Nathan Lane in the remake nor could it have been.




Here's Zero giving a performance as Tevye at a Tony Award's evening.