A man almost as famous for his skill at bridge as for his superlative acting abilities, as well as a patrician presence on screen for years, Omar Sharif has died at the age of 83.
Born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Egypt, he studied at Victoria College in Alexandria and showed a talent for learning languages. There, he began to develop an interest in theatre and performing, but focused instead on obtaining a degree in mathematics and physics at the University Of Cairo, before joining his father in the family business of precious woods.
Yet he still felt the lure of acting, and headed to the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art in London before returning to start his film career in Egypt in 1953. He appeared in more than 20 productions, and it was during this period he met Faten Hamama who would become his wife, and inspired Sharif to convert to Islam. The couple had a son, Tarek Sharif, but divorced in 1974 due to Sharif’s decision to remain in Europe between film shoots following a change of regime.
Sharif’s big English-language break came in 1962, with David Lean’s Lawrence Of Arabia, earning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for his performance as Sherif Ali Ben El Kharish, going home with an additional Globe for Best New Star Of The Year. That launched a new stage in his career, and saw him win roles in the likes of The Yellow Rolls-Royce, Behold A Pale Horse, Doctor Zhivago (a reunion with Lean), Funny Girl and many more. A talented, versatile actor, he also appeared in Top Secret!, The 13th Warrior, Hidalgo and Monsieur Ibrahim.
Running parallel to his work on screen was his driving passion for bridge, becoming ranked as one of the world’s best known contract bridge players, going on to co-write a column in the Chicago Tribune on the subject and co-author several books. More recently, his health had begun to deteriorate, with the actor suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He died of a heart attack in a Cairo hospital. He is survived by his son and two grandsons.