Remembering Omar Sharif

Today, Friday, 10-4-2020, marks would have been the 88th birthday of the late iconic international Egyptian actor Omar Sharif.

Sharif was an acclaimed award-winning actor known for his roles in Egyptian movies “Eshaeit Hob”, “Sayedat el kasr”, “Siraa Fil-Mina”, “Fi baitina rajul”, and others.

The acclaimed award-winning actor is also known for starring in Hollywood movies such as “Lawrence of Arabia,”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Funny Girl”, and “Monsieur Ibrahim”.

The award-winning actor was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on April 10, 1932. Part Egyptian-Lebanese, he was able to attend English school, and eventually learned several languages, who installed his love for theater.

Michel Chalhoub, known now by Omar Sharif, studied math and physics at Victory College in Cairo, alongside working in his father’s business for a time before focusing on his passion.

[caption id="attachment_120681" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Omar Sharif[/caption]

At Victoria College, he met acclaimed film director Youssef Chahine, who is credited with presenting Sharif to the cinema with casting him as the male lead in “Sira’a Fil-Wadi” (Struggle in the Valley).

In 1954, Sharif made his debut in the movie and soon managed to prove his major acting skills, becoming one of the top star.

The award-winning actor wed the ‘Lady of the Arab Screen’ legendary actress, Faten Hamama in 1955 after converting to Islam and changing his name to marry her.

The pair established themselves as one of the Arab world’s romantic couples in the cinema and co-starred in many classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as “Bain el atlal”, “Nahr el hub”, “Ayyamine el helwa”, “Sayedat el kasr”, “ La anam”, and “Siraa Fil-Wadi”.

In 1957, they welcomed their first and only child, Tarek Sharif.

[caption id="attachment_120676" align="aligncenter" width="1041"] Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif[/caption]

Sharif launched his international stardom in 1962 when British film director David Lean cast him as Sherif Ali Ben El Kharish opposite Peter O’Toole in historical epic, “Lawrence of Arabia”, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for “Best Supporting Actor” as well as a Golden Globe for “Best Supporting Actor” and “Best New Star of the Year”.

He went on to star in several hit movies in the years that followed, including “Doctor Zhivago” in 1965, which earned him his second Golden Globe for Best Actor, and “Funny Girl” with Barbra Streisand in 1968.

However, Sharif’s international fame came with a heavy price, as his international stardom grew.

Sharif asked Hamama to move abroad with him, however, she refused and preferred to stay in Egypt. In 1974, the pair porced, which Sharif attributes his frequent trips abroad and his Hollywood career as the reason.

[caption id="attachment_120680" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Omar Sharif[/caption]

During that era, Sharif starred in many Hollywood movies, including “The Yellow Rolls-Royce”, “Behold a Pale Horse”, “Genghis Khan”, “Mayerling”, “The Tamarind Seed” with Julie Andrews, “Funny Lady”, “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” with Peter Sellers, “Top Secret!, “Heaven Before I Die”.

He is also known for his appearance in TV productions such as “The Far Pavilion” in 1984 and “Gulliver's Travels” in 1996.

In the new millennium, Sharif presented “Monsieur Ibrahim”, “Hidalgo”, “Viggo Mortensen”, and “One Night With the King”.

In late May 2015, the award-winning actor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and on July 10, 2015, Sharif had a heart attack and died in a Cairo hospital. He was 83.