Like today July 10, 2015 the Egyptian actor passed away Omar Sharif, who went down in film history for his performance in the films “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) and “Doctor Zhivago” (1965). The legacy he left behind went beyond the entertainment industry, which is why in 2005 he was awarded by Unesco for his contribution to the spread of multiculturalism and open dialogue.

The first steps

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, on April 10, 1932, Omar Sharif (real name Michael Demitri Shalhoub) was slow to follow his inclination towards acting. She first appeared on the big screen in 1954, when she starred in Youssef Chahine’s film Siraa Fil-Wadi (Struggle in the Valley), alongside his later wife Faten Hamamah. Participations in numerous Egyptian productions followed, establishing him as one of the biggest domestic film personalities.

International recognition

His career took an unexpected turn when producer Sam Spiegel and director David Lean cast him as Sherif Ali in the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962). From that moment the actor became a star of international stature, landing a number of leading roles in big-budget international productions, most notably as Yuri Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago (1965, again directed by David Lean) and role of Nick Arnstein in the film “A Funny Girl” (1968, directed by William Wyler), alongside the great Barbra Streisand.

The setbacks of a promising career

However, although his international career on the big screen had started auspiciously, the follow-up (from about the mid-1970s onwards) was less impressive. The major cause of his subsequent downfall was his gambling addiction. From one point on, he accepted any role, just to pay off his gambling debts. The result, according to him, 25 years of participation in mediocre to bad films, telefilms and mini-series, with few exceptions.

From a point on, he seems to have devoted himself more to bridge than to the movies, participating in international tournaments, writing articles about the game in the Chicago Triburne newspaper, as well as several books. In addition, the health problems he faced due to his lifestyle (smoking, alcohol), as well as anger management problems (he was twice charged with assault in the early 2000s) did not help the situation. Although in 2003 he unexpectedly reminded us how great an actor he once was with his role in the French film Mr. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran (directed by François Dupeyron).

Read more at monopoli.gr