Zeev Revach (1940-2025) was a theatre, film and television actor, screenwriter, and film director. Revach studied acting at the Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts and during the 1960s, he began landing a host of film and theatre roles. In theatre, Revach appeared in a number of plays including The Negro Did his Bit (‘hakushi asa et shelo’), The Idiot, and Blood Wedding. In 1988, he took over the lead role of Sallah in the acclaimed Ephraim Kishon musical during its run at Israel’s national Habima Theatre, where he sang the iconic musical number (and later, hit single), Ah ya Rabb, ya Rabb (‘oh my Lord, my Lord’).
From the 1970s onwards, Revach became the face of the period’s then most popular film genre – lowbrow, working class comedies and melodramas that earned the nickname ‘bourekas films.’ Revach regularly directed and starred in these films where he revealed great ethnic and gender-bending talents which earned him a huge fan following, thereby making the films tremendous box office hits – this, despite their usually less than favourable reviews. Highlights of Revach’s screen acting credits include: Scouting Patrol (Micha Shagrir, 1967), Shablool (‘snail’) (Boaz Davidson, 1970), Hasamba & The Black Handkerchief Gang (Joel Silberg, 1971), Charlie and a Half (Boaz Davidson, 1974), Snooker (Boaz Davidson, 1975), Beautiful Troubles! (Assi Dayan, 1976), Honor (Haim Bouzaglo, 2009), The World is Funny (Shemi Zarhin, 2012), and Gett (Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, 2014). Revach’s parts in the films Beitar Provence (Ori Inbar, 2002), and The Farewell Party (Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit, 2014), each won him an Ophir Award for Best Lead Actor. Highlights of Revach’s multirole films as director, screenwriter, and actor include: Rak Hayom (‘today only’, 1976), Gonev Miganav Patoor (‘a robber’s robber is off the hook, 1977), Little Man (Script by Revach and Hillel Mittelpunkt, 1978), Ta’ut Bamispar (‘wrong number’, 1979), Adon Leon (Mr. Leon, 1982), The Ladies’ Hairdresser (Script by Revach and Mittelpunkt, 1984), On the Fringe (Script by Revach and Mittelpunkt, 1987), Ha-Muvtal Batito (‘Batito on benefits’, 1987), Lend me your Wife (1992), and Buskila Twins (1998). In 2010, Revach was named the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
