In Memoriam | Omer Sherif

Omar Sharif as Nasreddin Hoca | Hodja Nasruddin type character in Goha | Frenc/Tunisian film by Jacques Baratier
Cast: Omar Sharif, Lauro Gazzolo, Gabriel Jabbour, Fatna Bent Lahsen, Daniel Emilfork, Annie Legrand, Claudia Cardinale...

Mavi Boncuk |

Omar Sharif (عمر الشريـف, Egyptian Arabic]; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015), also credited as Omar Cherif, was an Egyptian actor. The assumed surname Sharif means "noble" in Arabic. His films included Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Funny Girl (1968). He was nominated for an Academy Award and won three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award.

Omar Sharif was born on 10 April 1932, as Michel Demetri Chalhoub[3] in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Melkite Greek Catholic family of Palestinian-Syro-Lebanese descent. His father, Joseph Chalhoub, who was born in Lebanon, was a wealthy merchant of exotic woods who settled in Egypt in the early 20th century, where Omar was born and raised. His mother, Claire Saada, was of Syrian and Lebanese ancestry. In his youth, Sharif studied at Victoria College where he showed a talent for languages; he graduated from the University of Cairo with a degree in mathematics and physics.[6] In 1955, Sharif converted to Islam[7] to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.

After obtaining a degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, he worked for a while in his father's precious wood business before studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

In 1953, Sharif began his acting career in his native Egypt with a role in Sira` Fi al-Wadi. He quickly rose to stardom, appearing in Egyptian productions, including 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 historical epic 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, as well as a shared Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor