Omar Sharif
| Omar Sharif | |
|---|---|
 Sharif in Doctor Zhivago (1965) | |
| Native name | عمر الشريف |
| Born |
Michel Demitri Chalhoub April 10, 1932 Alexandria, Egypt |
| Education | Victoria College |
| Alma mater | Cairo University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–2013[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Faten Hamama (1954–74) |
| Children | One son |
| Awards |
|
Omar Sharif (Arabic: عمر الشريف, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈʕomɑɾˤ eʃʃɪˈɾiːf]; born Michel Demitri Chalhoub, [miˈʃel dɪˈmitɾi ʃælˈhuːb]; April 10, 1932) is an Egyptian actor. The assumed surname Sharif means "noble" in Arabic. His films include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Funny Girl (1968). He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won three Golden Globe Awards.
Early life
Omar Sharif was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt,[2] to a Melkite Greek Catholic family of Syro-Lebanese descent. His father, Joseph Chalhoub, was a precious wood merchant originally from Zahle, Lebanon, who settled in Egypt in the early twentieth century. His mother, Claire Saada, of Syrian and Lebanese heritage, was known to keep in touch with the Egyptian elite at the time. In his youth, Sharif studied at Victoria College, where he became active in sports and developed interest in theater and acting. His classmates included Youssef Chahine and Edward Said. In 1955, Sharif converted to Islam[3] to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.[4]
After obtaining a degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, he worked for five years in the business of precious wood of his father, before studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Acting career
In 1953, Sharif began his acting career with a role in Sira` Fi al-Wadi. He quickly rose to stardom, appearing in over 20 Egyptian productions, including Ayyamna el helwa with singer Abdel Halim Hafez, La anam in 1958, Sayedat el kasr in 1959 and the Anna Karenina adaptation Nahr el hub in 1961. He also starred with his wife, Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, in several movies as romantic leads.
Sharif's first English-language film was in the role of Sharif Ali in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia in 1962. This performance earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Following this breakthrough role, Sharif played a variety of characters, including a Spanish priest in Behold a Pale Horse (1964) and the Mongolian conqueror in Genghis Khan (1965). In the same year, Sharif reunited with Lean to play the title role in Doctor Zhivago, an adaptation of Boris Pasternak's novel.
Over the next few years, Sharif starred as a German military officer in The Night of the Generals, as Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria in Mayerling and as Che Guevara in Che!. Sharif was also acclaimed for his portrayal of Nicky Arnstein, husband to Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, though some thought he was miscast as a New York Jewish gambler. His decision to work with costar Barbra Streisand angered Egypt's government at the time due to Streisand's support for the state of Israel. Streisand herself responded with "You think Cairo was upset? You should've seen the letter I got from my Aunt Rose!" Sharif reprised the role in the film’s sequel, Funny Lady in 1975.
In 2003, he received acclaim for his role in the French-language film adaptation of the novel Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran, as a Muslim Turkish merchant who becomes a father figure for a Jewish boy.
Contract bridge career
Sharif once ranked among the world's best-known contract bridge players, forming the "Omar Sharif Bridge Circus" in 1967 which toured the world, competing against such powerhouse teams as Blue Team and Dallas Aces, at a time when barnstorming bridge teams were very popular. With Charles Goren, Sharif co-wrote a syndicated newspaper bridge column for the Chicago Tribune[5] for several years, but has mostly turned over the writing of the column to Tannah Hirsch, whose name appears on the byline with Sharif to this day. He is also both author and co-author of several books on bridge and has licensed his name to a bridge video game; initially released in a MS-DOS version and Amiga version in 1992, Omar Sharif on Bridge is still sold in Windows and "mobile platform" versions.[6] Computer Gaming World in 1992 described the game as "easy to get into, challenging to play and well-designed",[7] and named it one of the year's best strategy games.[8] In 1993 the magazine stated that "it does not play a very good game of bridge", however, and criticized it for inadequate documentation and forcing players to conform to its bidding style. The magazine recommended two other bridge games instead.[9] For a number of years his partner at international tournaments was Egyptian contract bridge superstar Maged Elewa.
Sharif has been a regular in casinos in France.[10]
In 2006, Sharif declared both pastimes as ended when he was asked if he still played bridge: "I've stopped altogether. I decided I didn't want to be a slave to any passion any more except for my work. I had too many passions, bridge, horses, gambling. I want to live a different kind of life, be with my family more because I didn't give them enough time."[11]
Personal life
Family and personal relationships
Sharif lived in his native Egypt from birth in 1932 until he moved to Europe in 1965.[12] He recounts that, in 1932, his father "wasn't a wealthy man", but "earned quite a bit of money".[13] Before the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, King Farouk frequented Sharif's family's house, and became a friend and card game partner of Sharif's mother. His mother was an elegant and charming hostess who was all too delighted with the association because it gave her the privilege of "consorting only with the elite" of Egyptian society. Sharif also recounts that his father's timber business was very successful during that time, in ways that Sharif describes as dishonest or immoral.[14]
By contrast, after 1952, Sharif states that wealth changed hands in Egypt, under Nasser's nationalisation policies.[15] His father's business "took a beating". Travel restrictions in the form of "exit visas" were required of Egyptians, and his own travel to take part in international films was sometimes impeded, which he could not tolerate. The Nasser government's travel restrictions[16] influenced Sharif's decision to remain in Europe between his film shoots, a decision that cost him his marriage to Egyptian film legend Faten Hamama, though they remained friends. It was a major crossroad in Sharif's life and changed him from an established family man to a lifelong bachelor living in European hotels. When commenting about his fame and life in Hollywood, Sharif said, "It gave me glory, but it gave me loneliness also. And a lot of missing my own land, my own people and my own country."[16] Due to the state of war between Egypt and Israel, Sharif's Egyptian citizenship was almost withdrawn by the Egyptian Government when his affair with Barbra Streisand was made public in the Egyptian press due to Streisand's vocal support of Israel.[17]
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In 1954 acclaimed actress Faten Hamama accepted young Sharif as her co-star in the film Struggle in the Valley and shockingly accepted a scene involving a kiss with him, a first her career. The two fell in love, and Sharif converted to Islam and married her.[18] The couple had one son, Tarek El-Sharif, born 1957 in Egypt, who appeared in Doctor Zhivago as Yuri at the age of eight. They separated in 1966 and the marriage ended in 1974.[16] Sharif never remarried; he stated that since his divorce, he never fell in love with another woman, although he lived abroad for years.[16] Hamama died in 2015.
Sharif became friends with Peter O'Toole during the making of Lawrence of Arabia. They appeared in several other films together and remained close friends. He is also good friends with Egyptologist Zahi Hawass. Actor and friend Tom Courtenay revealed in an interview for the July 19, 2008, edition of BBC Radio's Test Match Special that Sharif supported Hull City Association Football Club and in the 1970s would telephone their automated scoreline from his home in Paris for score updates. Sharif was given an honorary degree by the University of Hull in 2010 and used the occasion to meet up with Hull City football player Ken Wagstaff.[19]
At present, Sharif resides mostly in Cairo with his family.[16] In addition to his son, he has two grandsons, Omar (born 1983 in Montreal) and Karim.[16] Omar Sharif, Jr. is also an actor.[20] He is most recently known for playfully tussling on stage at the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony with actor Kirk Douglas, who was presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress that evening.[21] Sharif Jr. also generated buzz for coming out as both gay and half-Jewish during the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, saying he fears for his safety after Islamist parties' triumph in parliamentary elections.[22][23]
Criminal convictions
In August 2003, Sharif received a one-month suspended prison sentence for striking a police officer in a suburban Parisian casino the previous month. He was fined the equivalent of US$1,700. On February 13, 2007, Sharif was "found guilty of assaulting a Beverly Hills parking lot attendant and breaking his nose".[24]
Doha Tribeca Film Festival
On October 27, 2011, Sharif became irritated with a woman who was queuing up to have her photo taken with him on the red carpet at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. He struck her, but after a moment he turned and leaned in to pose for a picture with her.[25][26]
Awards
In November 2005, Sharif was awarded the inaugural[27] Sergei Eisenstein Medal by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in recognition of his significant contributions to world film and cultural diversity. The medal, which is handed out very infrequently, is named after Russian director Sergei Eisenstein. Only 25 have been struck, as determined by the agreement between UNESCO, Russia's Mosfilm and the Vivat Foundation.[28]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Shaytan al-Sahra | Known as Devil of the Sahara | |
| 1954 | Sira` Fi al-Wadi | Ahmed | Also known as The Blazing Sun or Struggle in the Valley or Fight in the Valley' |
| 1955 | Ayyamna al-Holwa (Our Best Days) | Ahmed | |
| 1956 | Siraa Fil-Mina | Ragab | |
| 1957 | Ard al-Salam | Ahmed | Known as Land of Peace |
| 1957 | The Lebanese Mission | Mokrir | Original title was La Châtelaine du Liban; credited as Omar Cherif |
| 1958 | La anam | Aziz | Also known as I Do Not Sleep and No Tomorrow |
| 1958 | Goha | Goha | Credited as Omar Cherif |
| 1959 | Fadiha fil-zamalek | Scandal in Zamalek | |
| 1959 | Sayedat el kasr | Adel | Lady of the Castle |
| 1959 | Seraa fil Nil | Muhassab | Struggle on the Nile |
| 1960 | Bidaya wa nihaya | ||
| 1960 | Hobi al-wahid | My Only Love | |
| 1960 | Esha'a hob | Rumor of Love | |
| 1960 | Nahr al-Hob | Khalid | The River of love |
| 1961 | A Man in our House | Ibrahim | |
| 1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | Sherif Ali | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1964 | The Fall of the Roman Empire | Sohamus | |
| Behold a Pale Horse | Francisco | ||
| The Yellow Rolls-Royce | Davich | ||
| 1965 | Genghis Khan | Genghis Khan | |
| Marco the Magnificent | Sheik Alla Hou, 'The Desert Wind' | ||
| Doctor Zhivago | Dr. Zhivago (Yuri) | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | |
| 1966 | The Poppy Is Also a Flower | Dr. Rad | |
| 1967 | The Night of the Generals | Major Grau | |
| More Than A Miracle | Prince Rodrigo Fernandez | ||
| 1968 | Funny Girl | Nick Arnstein | |
| Mayerling | Archduke Rudolf | ||
| 1969 | Mackenna's Gold | Colorado | |
| The Appointment | Frenderico Fendi | ||
| Che! | Che Guevara | ||
| 1970 | The Last Valley | Vogel | |
| 1971 | The Horsemen | Uraz | |
| The Burglars | Abel Zacharia | ||
| 1972 | Le Droit d'aimer | Pierre | |
| 1973 | The Mysterious Island | Captain Nemo | TV miniseries; also known as L'Ile Mysterieuse |
| 1974 | The Tamarind Seed | Feodor Sverdlov | |
| Juggernaut | Captain Axel Brunel | ||
| 1975 | Funny Lady | Nicky Arnstein | |
| 1976 | Ace Up My Sleeve | Andre Ferren | also known as Crime and Passion |
| The Pink Panther Strikes Again | Egyptian assassin | uncredited cameo | |
| 1979 | Ashanti: Land of No Mercy | Prince Hassan | |
| Bloodline | Ivo Palazzi | ||
| 1980 | S*H*E | Baron Cesare Magnasco | S*H*E: Security Hazards Expert |
| The Baltimore Bullet | The Deacon | ||
| Oh Heavenly Dog | Bart | ||
| Pleasure Palace | Louis Lefevre | TV movie | |
| 1981 | Green Ice | Meno Argenti | |
| Inchon | Indian officer | uncredited cameo | |
| 1984 | The Far Pavilions | Koda Dad | TV miniseries, based on The Far Pavilions |
| Top Secret! | Agent Cedric | ||
| 1985 | Edge of the Wind | McCorquodale | TV movie (BBC)[29] |
| 1986 | Peter the Great | Prince Feodor Romodanovsky | TV miniseries |
| Harem | Sultan Hassan | TV movie | |
| Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna | Czar Nicholas II | TV miniseries | |
| 1987 | Grand Larceny | Rashid Saud | |
| 1988 | The Possessed | Stepan | Les Possédés |
| Les Pyramides bleues | Alex | The Novice | |
| 1989 | Al-aragoz | Mohamed Gad El Kareem | The Puppeteer |
| 1990 | The Opium Connection | ||
| 1990 | The Rainbow Thief | Dima | |
| 1991 | Memories of Midnight | Constantin Demiris | TV movie |
| 1991 | Mowaten masri | An Egyptian Citizen | |
| 1992 | Beyond Justice | Emir Beni-Zair | |
| 1992 | Mayrig | Hagop | |
| 1992 | Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris | Marquis Hippolite | TV Movie |
| 1992 | 588 rue paradis | Hagop | Mother |
| 1993 | Dehk we le'b we gad we hob | Laughter, Games, Seriousness and Love | |
| 1994 | Lie Down With Lions | Safar Khan | TV movie; Red Eagle |
| 1995 | Catherine the Great | Razumovsky | TV movie |
| 1996 | Gulliver's Travels | The Sorcerer | TV movie |
| 1997 | Heaven Before I Die | Khalil Gibran | |
| 1998 | Mysteries of Egypt | Grandfather | Documentary |
| 1999 | The 13th Warrior | Melchisideck | |
| 2001 | The Parole Officer | Victor | |
| 2003 | Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran | Monsieur Ibrahim | César Award for Best Actor |
| 2004 | Hidalgo | Sheikh Riyadh | |
| 2005 | Imperium: Saint Peter | Saint Peter | TV movie |
| 2005 | Fuoco su di me | Principe Nicola | Fire at my Heart |
| 2005 | Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior | ||
| 2006 | One Night with the King | Prince Memucan | |
| 2006 | The Crown Prince | Hans Canon | TV movie; Kronprinz Rudolf |
| 2007 | Hanan W Haneen | TV series | |
| 2007 | The Ten Commandments | Jethro | TV series |
| 2008 | The Last Templar | Konstantine | TV series |
| 2008 | Hassan & Marcus | Hassan/Morcus | Hassan wa Morcus |
| 2008 | 10,000 BC | Narrator | Voice only |
| 2009 | The Traveller | ||
| 2009 | J'ai oublié de te dire | Jaume | I forgot to Tell You |
| 2009 | La Traversée du désir | ||
| 2013 | Rock the Casbah |
Bibliography
- The Eternal Male, with Marie-Thérèse Guinchard, transl. Martin Sokolinsky (Doubleday, 1977); orig. French, Éternel masculin (Paris: Stock, 1976)
- Goren's Bridge Complete, Charles Goren with Omar Sharif (Doubleday, 1980) – one of several later editions of Goren
- Omar Sharif's Life in Bridge, with Anne Segalen and Patrick Sussel, transl. and adapted by Terence Reese (Faber, 1983); orig. French, Ma vie au bridge (Paris: Fayard, 1982)
- Omar Sharif Talks Bridge (2004)
- Bridge Deluxe II Play with Omar Sharif (instruction manual)
References
- ↑
- ↑ "Omar Sharif: 'It is a great film, but I'm not very good in it'", The Independent
- ↑ \
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., p. 71.
- ↑ "Change of Subject - Observations, reports, tips, referrals and tirades Chicago Tribune Blog". Chicago Tribune. September 6, 2005.
- ↑ "> {subcategory}". Thetradingcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ Wilson, Johnny L. (1992-09). "Interplay's Omar Sharif on Bridge". Computer Gaming World. pp. 20–21. Retrieved 3 July 2014. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "CGW Salutes The Games of the Year". Computer Gaming World. 1992-11. p. 110. Retrieved 4 July 2014. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Lindeman, David E. (1993-03). "Three Top Computer Bridge Games". Computer Gaming World. p. 42. Retrieved 6 July 2014. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Omar Sharif sued for assault". (November 6, 2005). New Sunday Times, p. 29.
- ↑ Mark Lubischer and Betty Jo Tucker. "ReelTalk Movie Reviews". Reeltalkreviews.com. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., p. 41.
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., pp. 45-46.
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., p. 46.
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., p. 98.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 AlJazeeraEnglish. "Riz Khan - Omar Sharif - 10 Oct 07". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ Sharif, Omar (1977), The Eternal Male: My Own Story, Doubleday, NY, 1st Ed., p. 79.
- ↑ Darwish, Mustafa (1998). Dream Makers on the Nile: A Portrait of Egyptian Cinema. Columbia University Press. ISBN 977-424-429-X. Invalid
|name-list-format=scap(help) - ↑ "THEY are two of the greatest names in film history.". This is Hull and East Riding. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ Archived April 27, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Ross von Metzke (2011-02-28). "Introducing Omar Sharif Jr". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ "Omar Sharif Jr. Comes Out as Gay, Half-Jewish: "Am I Welcome in Egypt?"". ABC News. 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ↑ http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/features/2012/03/16/coming-out-story-were-not-cairo-anymore
- ↑ Archived March 6, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "You've Been Framed? Omar Sharif appears to slap a woman on film during a red carpet appearance at a Film Festival". Daily Mail (London). October 28, 2011.
- ↑ "Omar Sharif slaps a woman on film during a red carpet appearance at a Film Festival". Doha, Qatar. October 28, 2011.
- ↑ UNESCO Media Services; Retrieved 18 January 2014
- ↑ Famed screen artist Omar Sharif receives UNESCO Eisenstein Medal
- ↑ ""Edge of the Wind", BBC". Retrieved 18 January 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Omar Sharif. |
- Omar Sharif at the Internet Movie Database
- Omar Sharif at elcinema.com (Arabic)
- The Making of Lawrence of Arabia, Digitised BAFTA Journal (Winter 1962–63)
- Omar Sharif international record at the World Bridge Federation.
- Omar Sharif at Library of Congress Authorities, with 16 catalogue records
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