Zero Mostel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zero Mostel
Zero Mostel as Tevye
Born	Samuel Joel Mostel (1915-02-28)February 28, 1915 New York City, U.S.
Died	September 8, 1977(1977-09-08) (aged 62) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	City College of New York New York University
Occupation	Actor comedian singer
Years active	1941–1977
Spouse(s)	Clara Sverd ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1944)​ Kate Harkin ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	2, including Josh

Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel (born February 28, 1915 – died September 8, 1977) was a famous American actor, comedian, and singer. He was best known for playing funny characters. These included Tevye in the play Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (both on stage and in the movie), and Max Bialystock in the original movie The Producers (1967).

Zero Mostel was a student of Don Richardson. He used a special acting method that relied on "muscle memory." In the 1950s, he was put on a "blacklist". This meant he was stopped from working in Hollywood because people thought he had certain political beliefs. His appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was very well known. Later, Mostel starred in the movie The Front (1976) with Woody Allen. This film was about the Hollywood blacklist. Mostel was nominated for an award for his role in The Front.

Mostel won an Obie Award and three Tony Awards. He was also added to the American Theater Hall of Fame after he passed away in 1979.

Early Life

Zero Mostel was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Israel Mostel, came from Eastern Europe. His mother, Cina "Celia" Druchs, was a Polish Jew who grew up in Vienna. Both of his parents came to the United States on their own. They met and got married here. Zero was the seventh of his father's eight children.

His brother, Bill Mostel, said their mother gave him the nickname "Zero." She joked that if he kept doing poorly in school, he would amount to "zero."

The family first lived in Brooklyn. Then they moved to Moodus, Connecticut, and bought a farm. They earned money from a winery and a slaughterhouse. The farm did not do well, so they moved back to New York. His father then worked as a wine chemist.

Zero was a lively and funny child. He was very smart and observant. His father thought he might become a rabbi. But Zero loved painting and drawing more. He kept this passion his whole life. He would often go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to copy paintings. Once, he copied a painting upside down, which made the crowd watching him laugh.

Besides English, Mostel also spoke Yiddish, Italian, and German.

He was a good student at Public School 188. He also got professional art training at The Educational Alliance. He finished high school at Seward Park High School. His yearbook said he might become "a future Rembrandt... or perhaps a comedian?"

Mostel went to the City College of New York. This public college helped many poor students go to college. He later said he was on the swimming team and in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He took art classes many times because he loved to paint and get feedback. He worked many odd jobs during this time. He graduated in 1935 with a bachelor's degree. He then studied for a master's degree at New York University for a year. After that, he joined the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). This program paid him to teach art.

In 1939, he married Clara Sverd. They moved to an apartment in Brooklyn. Their marriage did not last. Clara found it hard that he spent so much time painting. They separated in 1941 and divorced in 1944.

Career Highlights

Early Comedy

Part of Mostel's job with the PWAP was to give talks at museums. He would lead students through art galleries. But he could not help being funny. His talks became known more for his humor than for the art. As he became more famous, people invited him to entertain at parties. He earned a few dollars for each show. He also performed at labor union clubs. There, he mixed his comedy with comments on society. These performances later played a big part in him being blacklisted.

In 1941, the Café Society nightclub in Manhattan offered Mostel a job. He became a professional comedian and performed regularly. Mostel accepted, and soon he was the main act. This is where he started using the stage name Zero. A press agent named Ivan Black came up with it. The club owner felt "Sam Mostel" was not right for a comedian.

So, at 27 years old, Mostel left his other jobs to start his career in show business.

Rising to Fame

Mostel became famous very quickly. In 1942, his pay at the Café Society went up a lot. He appeared on radio shows and in two Broadway plays. He also performed at the Paramount Theatre and was in an MGM movie called Du Barry Was a Lady. He even made special appearances at the Yiddish theatre, which influenced his acting style. In 1943, Life magazine called him "just about the funniest American now living."

In March 1943, Mostel was drafted into the US Army. He was honorably discharged in August 1943 due to a physical disability. After that, he entertained soldiers through the USO until 1945.

Mostel married Kathryn (Kate) Cecilia Harkin on July 2, 1944. She was an actress and dancer. They met at Radio City Music Hall. This marriage caused problems with his Orthodox Jewish parents because Kate was not Jewish. His mother never met Kate or their grandsons. Zero and Kate had two children: Josh Mostel (born 1946) and Tobias (born 1948). Their marriage had its ups and downs, but they stayed together until Mostel's death.

After the Army, Mostel's career continued. He acted in many plays, musicals, operas, and movies. Critics saw him as a very talented performer.

He also appeared on New York City television in the late 1940s. He had his own show called Off The Record in 1948. He also had a live TV show called Channel Zero.

Blacklist Years

Mostel had always had left-wing political views. His comedy routines often made fun of right-wing politicians. His contract with MGM was ended early. His role in Du Barry Was a Lady was cut short. This happened because studio bosses were upset that he protested against another MGM film. They thought this film made a former US President seem less racist. Some people say MGM blacklisted Zero Mostel even before the main blacklist started.

During his time in the Army, he was investigated. People thought he might be a member of the Communist Party. Army records said he was "reliably reported" to be a member. As a result, he was not allowed to be an entertainment director for the Army.

In 1950, Mostel acted in movies again. He got a role in the Oscar-winning film Panic in the Streets. The director, Elia Kazan, asked for him. Kazan said Mostel was an amazing artist and a delightful person. He helped Mostel get work when others would not.

Mostel played supporting roles in five movies for 20th Century Fox in 1950. But then Fox suddenly ended his contract. Mostel found out when he was not allowed on the set of a film he was supposed to do for another studio. The studio might have heard that he was about to be named as a Communist.

On January 29, 1952, a man named Martin Berkeley told the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) that Mostel had been a Communist Party member. After this, Mostel was effectively blacklisted. This meant he could not get work in Hollywood or on Broadway. He was called to appear before HUAC on August 14, 1955.

Mostel refused to name other people who might have been involved. He argued with the members of Congress. He used his right to privacy about his political beliefs. His testimony earned him respect from others who were blacklisted. He also challenged the committee's ideas. He even called Twentieth Century Fox "18th Century Fox" because they worked with the committee. He made the committee members look foolish. Mostel later said, "What did they think I was going to do – sell acting secrets to the Russians?"

Even though he was admired for his testimony, it did not remove him from the blacklist. His family struggled with little money during the 1950s. Mostel used this time to work in his art studio. He later said he valued those years because they gave him time to do what he loved most. Mostel's appearance before HUAC was later used in a play called Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...? During this time, he also acted in many local plays.

Career Revival

In 1957, a theater agent named Toby Cole contacted Mostel. Cole was against the blacklist. He asked to represent Mostel. Mostel agreed, and this partnership helped Mostel's career come back to life. He became a very well-known name.

Mostel took on the role of Leopold Bloom in Ulysses in Nighttown. This play was based on the book Ulysses, which he loved. It was a small play in a theater on Houston Street. But the reviews for Mostel were amazing. One critic compared him to Laurence Olivier, a very famous actor. Mostel won an Obie Award for best Off-Broadway performance.

After Ulysses was a success, Mostel got many offers for classic roles. But he turned them down because of disagreements with directors and low pay. By this time, the blacklist was losing its power. In 1959 and 1961, he appeared in two TV shows called The Play of the Week.

1960s and Peak of Career

Mostel, around 1960

On January 13, 1960, Mostel was hit by a bus. This happened while he was getting out of a taxi after rehearsals for a play. His leg was badly crushed. Doctors wanted to cut off his leg, which would have ended his stage career. But Mostel refused. He stayed in the hospital for four months. The injury caused him pain for the rest of his life. He needed frequent rests and baths. He sued for compensation and received an unknown amount of money. From then on, he often used a cane.

Later that year, Mostel played Estragon in a TV version of Waiting for Godot. In 1961, he played John in Rhinoceros. He got great reviews for this role. One critic said 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 transformation on stage from a man to a rhinoceros became legendary. He won his first Tony Award for Best Actor for this role.

In 1962, Mostel started working on the role of Pseudolus in the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This became one of his most famous roles. The role was first offered to Phil Silvers, who turned it down. Mostel also did not want the role at first. He thought it was beneath him. But his wife and agent convinced him. The reviews were excellent. After some changes, the show became a huge success. It ran for 964 performances and made Mostel a star. He won another Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. A movie version was made in 1966, also starring Mostel and Silvers.

On September 22, 1964, Mostel opened as Tevye in the first Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mostel loved the works of Sholem Aleichem. He insisted that more of the author's style be included in the musical. He made big contributions to the show's development. He also created the special singing sounds in the song "If I Were a Rich Man." The New York Times wrote that Zero Mostel's Tevye was so good, you almost forgot it was an act. In later years, other actors who played Tevye often copied his staging. The show got amazing reviews and was a huge success. It ran for 3,242 performances, which was a record at the time. Mostel won a Tony Award for it. He was even invited to a reception at the White House. This officially ended his status as a political outcast.

In 1967, Mostel appeared as Potemkin in Great Catherine. The next year, he played Max Bialystock in The Producers. Mostel first refused the role of Max. But director Mel Brooks convinced him to show the script to his wife. She then talked Mostel into doing it. His performance first got mixed reviews. The film itself was not a big hit when it first came out. However, the comedy has since become a classic. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote in 2000, "This is one of the funniest movies ever made." He added that Mostel's performance "is a masterpiece of low comedy."

Mostel lived in a large apartment in The Belnord in New York City. He also built a summer house on Monhegan Island in Maine.

Later Years

Zero Mostel in 1973 on the set of the film Fore Play

In his last ten years, Mostel's fame lessened a bit. He appeared in movies that did not get much attention from critics or the public. These included The Great Bank Robbery and Once Upon a Scoundrel. In the 1970s, he often played supporting roles instead of lead roles.

His more notable films from these years include the movie version of Rhinoceros (with his Producers co-star Gene Wilder), The Hot Rock, and The Front. In The Front, he played Hecky Brown, a blacklisted performer. This character's story was similar to Mostel's own. For this role, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award. The character of Hecky Brown was based on a real TV actor named Philip Loeb, who was Mostel's friend.

On Broadway, Mostel starred in new productions of Ulysses in Nighttown and Fiddler on the Roof. He also made memorable appearances on children's shows. These included Sesame Street and The Electric Company. He also voiced the loud seagull Kehaar in the animated film Watership Down. He was also a guest star on The Muppet Show. This episode was filmed in 1977 and shown after he died.

Death

In the last four months of his life, Mostel went on a very strict diet. This diet made him lose a lot of weight. During rehearsals for a new play called The Merchant in Philadelphia, he collapsed. He was taken to the hospital. Doctors said he had a breathing problem. They thought he would be fine and would be released soon.

However, on September 8, 1977, Mostel felt dizzy and lost consciousness. Doctors could not revive him, and he passed away that evening. It is believed he had an aortic aneurysm.

A book was written about the play and Zero's death. It was called The Birth of Shylock and the Death of Zero Mostel.

Mostel had asked that his family not hold a funeral or memorial service. He was cremated after his death. The location of his ashes is not known to the public.

Working with Others

Mostel often had disagreements with directors and other actors. He was described as disrespectful. He believed he was a comedy genius, and many critics agreed. He did not have much patience for people he thought were not good at their jobs. He often made up lines on the spot. Audiences loved this, but it sometimes confused other actors during live shows. He often took over the stage, even if his role did not require it.

Some producers preferred to hire Mostel for short contracts. They knew he would become less likely to follow the script over time. His energetic personality, while a big reason for his success, also scared some people in his profession. This sometimes stopped him from getting important roles.

Actor Gene Wilder wrote in his book that he was first scared of Mostel. But when they met, Mostel hugged him and kissed him on the lips. Wilder said he was thankful to Mostel for teaching him a valuable lesson. Mostel would also pick Wilder up every day so they could go to work together. Wilder also shared a story about a dinner for the movie The Producers. Mostel switched Wilder's place card with another actor's. This allowed Wilder to sit at the main table. Mostel and Wilder later worked together in Rhinoceros and the Letterman cartoons for The Electric Company. They stayed close friends until Mostel's death.

In 2006, a play called Zero Hour was written and performed by actor Jim Brochu. The play told stories from Mostel's life and career. This included his HUAC testimony, his work relationships, and his theater roles.

Work

Filmography

Television

Stage

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Performing as Leopold Bloom in Ulysses in Nighttown in 1958

See also

In Spanish: Zero Mostel para niños