Remembering Omar Sharif – thanks Google!

 

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If you’re searching for anything on Google today, chances are you will see a distinctive Google Doodle on the top of the page – it’s a famous face, a well-loved face. It is legendary Hollywood actor Omar Sharif and on April 10, he would have been 86 years old. Each one of us carries special memories of having seen him in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Dr. Zhivago’ and scores of other films. So it’s kind of nice that Google reminded us on his birthdate of this wonderful actor and the many films he gave us.

The Best of Omar Sharif 

Here’s the Omar Sharif story on Google Doodle and why this beloved actor continues to be remembered by his fans.

Actor Omar Sharif made his indelible mark on Hollywood cinema without uttering a word. Playing the Arab warrior Sherif Ali in the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, Sharif first appears as a tiny dot on the desert horizon, growing larger as his camel gallops into the frame with Peter O’Toole.

From that point on, he continued on an incredible journey that made his indelible mark on Cinema in the arab world and beyond.

Born Michel Demitri Shalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt on this day in 1932, Sharif worked for his father’s lumber company before pursuing a movie career. Taking the name Omar El-Sharif, he starred in Egyptian hits including his first film in 1954, Struggle in the Valley (also known as The Blazing Sun, in which he co-starred with his future wife, actress Faten Hamama), A Rumor of Love (1960), and There is a Man in Our House (1961).

With Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Sharif expanded his orbit from Egyptian matinee idol to international heartthrob. During the 1960s, the charismatic, multilingual actor played, among other roles, a king of Armenia in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), a Mongol leader in Genghis Khan (1965), a Russian doctor in Doctor Zhivago (1965)—perhaps his most acclaimed part—and a big-time gambler in the box-office sensation Funny Girl(1968).Omar Sharif racked up two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination for Lawrence of Arabia. He also received numerous other awards including a César for the 2003 film, Monsieur Ibrahim, and a UNESCO Einstein medal in 2005, acknowledging his contributions to cultural diversity.

While acting was his main occupation, Sharif was also an internationally renowned bridge player, writing a syndicated column on the topic for the Chicago Tribune.

Today’s animated Doodle shows Sharif in true dashing form.

Happy 86th birthday, Omar Sharif!

Doodle by Sophie Diao. Text courtesy – Google

An Interview with Omar Sharif