Rosalind Harris

Rosalind Harris, born December 22, 1946, in White Plains, New York, is an American actress whose career in theater, film, and television spans several decades. She is most widely recognized for her role as Tzeitel, the eldest daughter of Tevye, in the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.

Harris's association with Fiddler on the Roof extended across multiple decades and formats. On Broadway, where she performed between 1964 and 1989, she took on the role of Tzeitel after replacing Bette Midler in the production. Nearly two decades after the film's release, she returned to the story in a touring stage revival, this time in the role of Golde, the mother. Chaim Topol, who had played her father Tevye in the 1971 film, appeared in the revival as her husband. Harris continued to mark the show's legacy in later years, performing at Town Hall in New York City in 2014 as part of the 50th Anniversary Gala of Fiddler on the Roof, alongside Sheldon Harnick, Chita Rivera, and Chaim Topol. In the summer of 2016, she appeared at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York in another tribute to the production, joined by fellow cast members.

Beyond her work with Fiddler on the Roof, Harris built an extensive stage career in Off-Broadway, regional, and stock productions. She performed the role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha and Mama Rose in Gypsy. She played Leona Samish in Do I Hear a Waltz? at the Equity Library Theatre and appeared as Elsie in Horatio at Arena Stage. At the American Shakespeare Festival, she took on the role of Jenny Hill in Major Barbara, also serving as understudy to Jane Alexander. Harris performed in ten productions of Funny Girl as Fanny Brice; among these, a production at Chateau DeVille Dinner Theatre held particular significance for her, directed by Christopher Hewett and featuring original Broadway Musical Director Milton Rosenstock. Off-Broadway, she played Dora in The Rise of David Levinsky at the American Jewish Theatre. In 2012, she received strong reviews for her portrayal of Sadie in the new musical MisSpelled at the Cherry Lane Theatre.

Harris's film credits include a role as Fanny Brice in the 1984 film The Cotton Club, which starred Richard Gere and Diane Lane, and an appearance alongside Woody Allen in Zelig. On television, she co-starred opposite Angela Lansbury in the 1996 Hallmark Hall of Fame television film Mrs. Santa Claus, playing the role of Mrs. Lowenstein. Her television commercial work also earned industry recognition; a spot in which she appeared as a female doctor in a Mogen David Wine advertisement won a Clio Award. In 1993, she received a MAC Award nomination for her cabaret performance in Hollywood Opera at Don't Tell Mama in New York City, a show written by and co-starring Barry Keating. Following her role in Mrs. Santa Claus, Harris stepped away from performing to establish her own vintage and estate jewelry business, Rosalind's – As You Liked It.