Omar Sharif was romantic. He was classy. He was emotional and witty. He was silly and friendly. He was goofy. Omar Sharif was, thanks to Doctor Zhivago, an international sex symbol of the 1960s. No woman who were of the right age when Zhivago was released did not have a crush on Sharif. For a while there, the dashing and romantic Egyptian actor rivaled his handsome Lawrence of Arabia co-star Peter O’Toole for sheer drop-dead matinee idol heartthrobbiness.
But Sharif wasn’t serious all the time. My first exposure to the actor was his brief role in 1984’s underrated slapstick classic Top Secret!, wherein Sharif was seen smoking exploding cigars, and who was eventually crushed inside a car. Don’t worry, though. He lived long enough to waddle around in the cubed hull, peeking out through a face-shaped opening.
Check Out: CraveOnline’s Review of ‘Funny Girl’
Sharif was an actor of great range, unlimited charm, and limitless comedic chops. Throughout the 1960s, he was a go-to “exotic” type. And he comfortable being the exotic one. Indeed, his Egyptian heritage was highlighted by his stage name; his birth name is the less romantic “Michel Shalhoub.” Throughout the 1970s, Sharif starred in a string of high-profile and often very penetrating dramas. Though he would often break character to appear in a comedy film or two, such as 1974’s The Pink Panther Strikes Again, perhaps the funniest in that series. Throughout the 1980s, Sharif began to appear in more and more comedies, displaying a Leslie Nielsen-like talent for deadpan delivery in the face of absurd situations.
In 2003, Sharif received a César for playing the lead role in Monsieur Ibrahim, but would still dip into the glorious lands of Hollywood schlock like 10,000 B.C. and The 13th Warrior in and around his more “serious” work. He was, in short, a professional. A charming, lovely, funny professional. His presence will be missed.
Gallery: Omar Sharif’s Seven Most Notable Performances
Witney Seibold is a contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. You can follow him on “Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.
Omar Sharif
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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
In his first English-language role, Sharif played Ali opposite Peter O'Toole. It was a revelation for the actor who had already spent a decade making movies in his native Egypt. He was instantly a Hollywood star.
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Doctor Zhivago (1965)
And every woman in the world officially falls in love with Doctor Zhivago, a Russian World War I romance that had Sharif paired with the dead sexy Julie Christie. Adjusted for inflation, this is the 8th highest-grossing film of all time.
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Funny Girl (1968)
Barbara played Fanny Brice, and Sharif played her jailbird husband Nicky Arnstein. Streisand is a flighty screen presence, and tends to chirp through most of her roles. Sharif, while capable of comedy, is capable of grounding her.
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The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Okay, so it's only a cameo. Sharif, in agreeing to do something so silly, revealed his gameness.
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Top Secret! (1984)
I already described the car crush scene above. I should also mention that Sharif picked up some "phony" dog poop in this Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker spy spoof. This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen.
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The Rainbow Thief (1990)
Sharif re-paired with his Lawrence co-star for Alejandro Jodorwosky's totally bizarre fable about a vagrant (Sharif) who looks after a mad ex-millionaire in the sewers.
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Monsieur Ibrahim (2003)
A young boy shoplifts from a Turkish shop owner, only to eventually be adopted by him. Ibrahim is forgiving and warm. Some have said this is the best performance of Sharif's career.
