Carry the Zero Trivia Quiz

Answer: Samuel

Zero Mostel was born Samuel Joel Mostel. His parents were Israel and Celia Mostel and he was their seventh of eight children. His parents were originally Jews from Poland who had separately relocated to Vienna and then the United States. Their Jewish background and culture would be heavily adopted in their home life and influenced Zero's career.

Answer: He was a poor student.

Zero earned his nickname from his mother who thought he was such a poor student he wouldn't amount to anything, or zero. The name stuck with him and he used itprofessionally. Despite his being such a poor student, Zero was actually quite intelligent though humorous, always. His father thought he could grow up to be a rabbi, but Zero never pursued it.

Answer: No

Not only did Zero Mostel never win an Oscar, he was never nominated. He was nominated for four Tonys, winning three. Two of his wins were for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and one for Best Leading Actor in a Play. He lost his only nomination for a Golden Globe (for "The Producers") to Ron Moody for "Oliver!".

Answer: True

Mostel had gained some notoriety for minor roles he took on Broadway and his stand up career. He became increasingly more famous in the 1940s until he was blacklisted for being an alleged communist. Mostel admitted to having controversial leftist views on a variety of issues. Mostel appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee and refused to name names of other alleged communists.

Answer: Fiddler on the Roof

"Fiddler on the Roof" tells the story of Tevye, a traditional Russian-Jewish father who tries to balance traditional life in a changing village. Tevye's oldest daughters want to marry for love rather than have arranged marriages. Mostel won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role.

When "Fiddler on the Roof" was made into a film, there was some controversy when Mostel was not asked to play Tevye. Instead an actor named Topol received the role.

Answer: Max Bialystock

Zero plays Max Bialystock, one of the two men scheming to create a terrible play that flops ("Springtime for Hitler") in order to hide Max's fraudulent ways. His partner, Leo Bloom, is played by Gene Wilder. The play becomes an unexpected hit because it is misinterpreted as a comedy.


Mostel also had other roles in film including "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Rhinoceros".

Answer: Usually not very well

Mostel had a reputation for being demanding and dominant. He would sometimes openly criticize his fellow actors for even the most trivial errors. He would also have to be the star of everything and never allowed others to have their moment in the spotlight. His comedic antics, while sometimes being found funny, often irritated others especially when he would improvise his lines.

Despite that reputation, Mostel got along well with Gene Wilder and some other of his co-stars but it usually took several months.

Answer: His dressing room

Zero Mostel was portraying Shylock in a modern adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice" called "The Merchant". It was during a rehearsal for the play that he was found to have collapsed in his dressing while preparing for the run through. He later died in the hospital of unknown causes but suspected to be an aneurysm.

Mostel was typically heavy and weighed over 300 pounds. However during the last few years of his life, he became conscious of his weight. According to his friends and family, he switched to a very poor diet where he basically ate nothing at all. His weight dropped dramatically and he developed breathing problems and other ailments.

Answer: Watership Down

"Watership Down" is a 1978 film based on the novel by Richard Adams. The main protagonist, Hazel, is voice by John Hurt. Hazel and his brother Fiver (Richard Briers) lead a group of rabbits through the wilds to Watership Down, a sort of utopia where the rabbits believe they will be safe. Mostel voices Kehaar, a gull who helps the rabbits settle into their new home.

Mostel also appeared in an episode of "The Muppet Show" that aired after his death.

Answer: Zero Hour

Jim Brochu is a playwright and biographer who wrote various works about the lives of celebrities. He wrote a play called "Zero Hour" about Mostel. Brochu had met Mostel and was inspired by him, particular from Mostel's handling of adversity while being blacklisted and related the actor's life to his own struggles. Brochu played Mostel in "Zero Hour" (it was a one-person play) and earned a Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a solo performance.