Omar Sharif

For other people named Omar Sharif, see Omar Sharif (disambiguation).

Omar Sharif
OME
عمر شريف
Sharif in 1963
Born
Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub[1]

(1932-04-10)10 April 1932
Alexandria, Kingdom of Egypt
Died10 July 2015(2015-07-10) (aged 83)
Cairo, Egypt
Burial placeAl-Sayyida Nafisa Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt
NationalityEgyptian
Other namesOmar el-Sherief,[2][3] Omar Cherif[4]
EducationVictoria College, Alexandria
Alma materCairo University
Occupation(s)Actor, bridge player
Years active1954–2015[5]
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1955; div. 1974)​
Children1
RelativesOmar Sharif Jr. (grandson)
Awards
Honours Order of Merit
Signature

Omar Sharif[a] (Arabic: عمر الشريف Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈʕomɑɾ eʃʃɪˈɾiːf], born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub[1] [miˈʃel dɪˈmitɾi ʃælˈhuːb]; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars.[6][7][8] He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is best known for his appearances in American, British, French, and Italian productions, and has been described as "the first Egyptian and Arab to conquer Hollywood".[9][10] His career encompassed over 100 films spanning 50 years, and brought him many accolades including three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award for Best Actor.

Sharif played opposite Peter O'Toole as Sherif Ali in the David Lean epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and portrayed the title role in Lean's Doctor Zhivago (1965), earning him the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He continued to play romantic leads, in films like Funny Girl (1968) and The Tamarind Seed (1974), and historical figures like the eponymous characters in Genghis Khan (1965), The Mamelukes (1965) and Che! (1969). His acting career continued well into old age, with a well-received turn as a Muslim Turkish immigrant in the French film Monsieur Ibrahim (2003). He made his final film appearance in 2015, the year of his death.

Sharif spoke five languages:[11][12] Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish.[13] He bridled at travel restrictions imposed by the government of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, leading to self-exile in Europe. He was a lifelong horse racing enthusiast, and at one time ranked among the world's top contract bridge players. He was the recipient of high civil honors from multiple countries, including the Egyptian Order of Merit and the French Legion of Honour. He was one of only 25 grantees of UNESCO's Sergei Eisenstein Medal, in recognition of his significant contributions to world film and cultural diversity.[14]

  1. ^ a b "Notice d'autorité personne", Bibliothèque nationale de France site (retrieved August 17, 2015).[dead link]
  2. ^ a b Berkvist, Robert (10 July 2015). "Omar Sharif, 83, a Star in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "(Title unknown)". The Arab Review (27–30): 56. 1962.
  4. ^ a b Sadoul, Georges (1972). Morris, Peter (ed.). Dictionary of Films. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 129. ISBN 9780520021525. Retrieved 10 July 2015 – via Internet Archive. omar cherif -wikipedia.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Examiner was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Legendary Egyptian actor Omar Sharif dies at 83". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Remembering Omar Sharif's Egyptian movie career before Hollywood came along". The World from PRX. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  8. ^ Berkvist, Robert (10 July 2015). "Omar Sharif, 83, a Star in 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Doctor Zhivago,' Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Omar Sharif: The Egyptian who conquered Hollywood". Arab News. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  10. ^ Diab, Khaled. "Omar Sharif: Actor without borders". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Omar Sharif, Suave Star of 'Doctor Zhivago,' Dies at 83". hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Omar Sharif: knave of hearts". The Guardian. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Omar Sharif facts: what you need to know about the actor honoured by Google". standard.co.uk. Evening Standard. 10 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  14. ^ UNESCO Media Services. Retrieved 18 January 2014


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