This post is written as a tribute to Omar Sharif, the actor, who passed away today at the age of 83. I knew he'd been in failing health; however, his sudden passing came as quite a shock.
When Dr. Zhivago first came out in 1965 and my parents came home from seeing it at the movie theatre, I thought Dr. Zhivago was just a movie about a modern day doctor in a hospital. Later, when I finally saw the movie, I realized it was a period piece of epic proportions and I was hooked on the passionate poet/doctor.
Omar Sharif was always one of my favourites, right back to my teen years, when he was my first "ideal man" and I though no one else could measure up. I suppose it was not just Omar Sharif's smoldering good looks that had women, all over the globe, swooning: His combination French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Arabic accent; one he said "enabled [him] to play the role of a foreigner without anyone knowing exactly where [he] came from," certainly made him easy to listen to, as well. Fast forward to his portrayal of Nicky Arnstein in 1968's Funny Girl, when Barbra Streisand's Fanny Brice appropriately greeted him with, "Hello, gorgeous;" and he certainly was!
And yet, he wasn't just a pretty face. Omar Sharif also gave remarkable performances in classic movies, including: 1962's Lawrence of Arabia, 1965's Genghis Khan, 1969's Mackenna's Gold, 1974's The Tamarind Seed, and 1975's Funny Lady.
I loved all of Omar Sharif's movies, at least all that I've had the pleasure to see; but, a favourite in our family has always been the 1992 TV movie, "Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris," in which he played the generous, kindhearted Marquis Hippolite to Angela Lansbury's title character. We watched "Mrs. 'Arris" as a family; three generations together, laughing, crying, and thoroughly enjoying. It was years before we were able to view it again, but we all remembered it fondly.
It makes me quite sad to know that Omar Sharif, that "gorgeous" man, is gone! It is some consolation, though, to remember that Omar Sharif, the actor, and his memorable performances in some of our favourite movies, will live on forever.
