Veteran Israeli comedian and actor Sefi Rivlin passed away on Tuesday night after a long battle with throat cancer. He was 66 years old. Rivlin was born in 1947 and grew up in a Revisionist home in Rishon Lezion, where he resided his entire life. He earned his acting stripes in the Israeli theater in the 1960s and 1970s, and made the leap to television in the mid-1970s when he joined "Nikui Rosh" -- a satirical sketch show that aired on Channel 1 between 1974 and 1976. Rivlin's career included stints on many leading Israeli TV shows, including Zehu Ze ("This is it"), which aired between 1978 and 1998, and "Itche," a 1995 Israeli sitcom based on "All in the Family." Rivlin received the 2002 Golden Mask Prize for Lifetime Achievement and the 2009 Israeli Academy of Film and Television Lifetime Achievement Award. A member of the Likud party, Rivlin starred in various party campaign ads throughout the 1980s. In 2008, he vied for a place on the party's Knesset roster, but was not elected an MK. For several years in the early 2000s, he was a member of the Rishon Lezion City Council. "I, like many Israelis, am very saddened by the passing of my friend Sefi Rivlin," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday. "He was a man of principles and ethics, a bright a kind man. He was a popular artists who made generations of Israelis laugh with his shrewd humor. "He had strong political views and he never cowered to [political] fashions. He fought his illness heroically for many years and always with the hope and optimism that had become his trademark. I will miss him very much." "For years, Sefi Rivlin seasoned Israeli reality with his unique brand of humor. He was a talented comedian and actor, whose unique flair brought us laughter," President Shimon Peres said in a statement. "Israel has lost a great artist and creator. May he rest in peace." Likud MK and former Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, the comedian's third cousin, said: "Sefi was the most serious comedian I ever knew. His works brought us laughter and excited us to tears. He loved his country and his people, was always full of faith, warmth and infinite empathy." Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Rivlin was "one of the greatest entertainers in Israeli history. We will always remember him as the man who made us laugh -- that is his greatest victory." Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat said, "Sefi Rivlin was a great actor and a stellar comedian who astounded us with his talent for decades, both on stage and on the screen." Israeli journalist Moti Kirschenbaum, who co-wrote "Nikui Rosh," described Rivlin as "an extraordinary talent. His comedic talents were second to none." Fellow comedian Yaakov Cohen said Rivlin "was a phenomenon. We have lost a giant today." Fellow actress Hanny Nahmias said Rivlin was "in a league of his own." Rivlin was laid to rest in Rishon Letzion on Tuesday afternoon. He is survived by his wife and four children.
In 1981, he won the part he was perhaps most famous for, playing the title role of Fistuk in "Fistuk's House" -- a popular children's show that ran on Israeli Educational Television between 1981 and 1983. The series and its theme song became Israeli cult classics.
