Today, 10 July, marks the death anniversary of the legendary actor Omar Sharif— best known for playing "Doctor Zhivago".
Known for his appearances in both Arab and western great productions, he was one of the first in the Arab region to introduce the principles of method acting propagated by Hollywood stars and Italian acting legends.
Born in Alexandria in 1932 as Michael Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub, he started his acting career after his graduation from the English school “ Victoria College ” in Alexandria where he met his classmate Ahmed Ramzi, they became best friends since then.
Throughout his long-standing career, he featured in many international films like Doctor Zhivago, Funny Girl (1968), The Tamarind Seed (1974), and Monsieur Ibrahim (2003).
Moreover, he appeared in a range of Arab films, including, ‘La Anam’ Sleepless (1957), A Rumor of Love (1960), and There is a man in our House (1961), which made him a huge competitor to Salah Zulfikar, Shoukry Sarhan and Rushdy Abaza, the Egyptian cinema giants at the time.
Starring alongside Egypt’s iconic actress Faten Hamam, who was also Sharif’s wife, and remarkable singer Abdel-Halim Hafiz in ‘Ayam El-Helwa’ (Our Best Days) film, he played the role of Ahmed, who is Halim’s best friend.
In the 1950s, Sharif’s breakthrough in Ayam El-Helwa shifted cinema at the time, influencing filmmakers to move toward taking the risk of hiring younger actors. Before his appearance, many roles were held by older actors who were often visibly beyond an age to convincingly play younger characters.
Quickly, he became a big movie star after taking roles in a number of youth films, along with his lifetime friend Ramzy, but he actually was drawn to enter the world of Western cinema.
In the 19060s, the handsome actor was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ as Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish. This classic movie was actually a hit at the box office at that time and opened him up to a large fan base also.
His first lead role in a Hollywood movie came with ‘Genghis Khan’ in 1965 but it failed to impress the audience. Some of Sharif’s blockbuster movies also include ‘The Yellow Rolls-Royce,’ ‘Doctor Zhivago,’ ‘Funny Girl,’ and ‘The Fall of the Roman Empire.’
The late actor also received many awards and accolades including three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award for Best Actor.
During his last days, his agent confirmed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
In 2015, the most acclaimed actor in his generation passed away aged 83.
On Omar Sharif's death anniversary, here is a look at some of his award-winning films-
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
This iconic tale of romance revolved around the backdrop of World War I, the 1917 Russian revolution, and the Russian Civil War. Yuri Zhivago is in love with Lara, who ends up marrying Pasha Antipov. Zhivago marries Tonya. After a while, fate brings Yuri and Lara back together again only to cruelly tear them apart.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The classic historical movie is based on the life of a British spy named Lawrence who was sent to Arabia to aide Prince Faisal. He becomes a liaison between the British and the Arabs who are fighting the Turks. His outstanding victories against the Ottoman make Lawrence the hero, but his own exploits sent him to his death.
It's worth mentioning that in this movie he collaborated for the first time with well-known stars like Alec Guinness, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger, Geraldine Chaplin, Klaus Kinski.
Monsieur Ibrahim (2003)
This movie follows up an old Muslim shopkeeper called Ibrahim who takes a Jewish boy, Momo, under his wings. Ibrahim teaches Momo the lessons on life based on the teachings of the Holy Quran.
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