Film Legend Omar Sharif Boycotts Stupid Film Roles

Reuters to My Yahoo! ^ | Thu Sep 11, 2003 | Amran Abocar

[Pharmboy]

Attention Hollywood: A 71-year-old, Oscar-nominated actor with vast experience and an exotic accent seeks good roles. No 'Ali Baba-type stuff.' Film legend Omar Sharif (news), star of such classics as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Dr. Zhivago,' is fed up with useless films but he says acceptable scripts are just too few and far between. Sharif is seen at the Venice Film Festival August 29. (Tony Gentile/Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) - Attention Hollywood: A 71-year-old, Oscar-nominated actor with vast experience and an exotic accent seeks good roles. No "Ali Baba-type stuff."

Film legend Omar Sharif (news), star of such classics as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dr. Zhivago," is fed up with useless films but acceptable scripts are just too few and far between.

"When I was a star, when I was younger, they used to write parts or adapt parts for me so that I could play them. But now that I'm old, there's no parts for me except old Arabs," Sharif told Reuters.

"I had been making rubbish for the last 25 years for the simple reason that I am a unique actor who is foreign to every film industry in the world, except the Egyptian film industry. But it's very difficult for me just to go back and make Egyptian films."

Sharif's new film "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" ("Mr. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran") is showing at the Toronto International Film Festival to enthusiastic audiences.

"There are parts of old Arabs sometimes but in terrible films, cheap, stupid films, Ali Baba-type of stuff," he said. "I decided I wouldn't make any more stupid films.

"To find a film which is well-written, which has a rich character like (Monsieur Ibrahim), it's very difficult."

The role of the gentle Muslim grocer who adopts a poor Jewish boy is being touted as Sharif's most charming performance and a potential Oscar contender. But the Egyptian-born actor, nominated for an Academy Award for "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1963, sees little chance of that.

"Oscars (news - web sites) require a spectacular part, really, parts where you can do a lot. This is a gentle sort of thing," he said. "I don't go mad, I don't have a fit of epilepsy, that's Oscar material. You have to do something, get drunk all the time and play drunken fiends.

"You don't win by talking to a little boy and explaining to him life and trying to cheer him up and make him smile and teach him happiness."

The film is set in the 1960s when Sharif was at the height of his fame and the actor, whose dark eyes and good looks made him a sex symbol, enjoyed the best the decade had to offer.

ENJOYING SODOM AND GOMORRAH

"I was coming straight from Egypt to Sodom and Gomorrah, which was Hollywood in those days. It was a cultural shock for me when I got there and saw all this, the women grabbing the men and taking them to bed by force, practically," he said.

"I embraced it," he said with a wolfish grin. "It was fun, I had never seen anything like that. Where I came from, I never had seen the ankles of a girl so it was exciting for a while and then it got very boring."

Sharif, born Michael Shalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt, credits his big-spending, ambitious mother for his fame. She pulled him out of French school as a chubby 11-year-old and sent him to an English boarding school -- where the food was worse in her opinion -- to keep him trim and on the path to stardom.

His mother also taught him to spend like there was no tomorrow and Sharif, an expert bridge player and prolific gambler, has lived up to that legacy with abandon.

"The thing that I can't do is have money and not spend it, that's what I'm incapable of doing. So that's why I'm also late in having money. I always owe the money that I earn."

The actor, who won a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival last month, will next be seen in Disney's "Hidalgo" as -- you guessed it -- an Arab prince.

In February, Sharif will reunite with his "Lawrence of Arabia" co-star Peter O'Toole (news) for a shoot in Morocco and he has two other films in production. In short, he has little time to fret endlessly about the lack of good roles available to him.

"I have erased the past and the future, totally. I live now in the present, in the moment," he said. "It's no use thinking of the past and it's not much use even thinking of the future because you don't know how long it's going to be or how long it's not going to be.

"You might as well do everything with intensity as you're living it."

[Pharmboy]

He has not aged well.

[dfwgator]

Well I guess he won't be reprising his character from "Top Secret"

[Tax-chick]

Boy, he was a feast for the eyes 40 years ago! You'd think with his $$$ he could get his teeth fixed, like Ricardo Montalban.

[Jack Wilson]

Me too. I'm boycotting Hollywood until someone offers me a decent role. Something with a Angeline Jolie...

[wideawake]

born Michael Shalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt

Given his real name and his place of birth, I have to assume that Omar Sharif was raised a Coptic Christian.

[Tax-chick]

Bingo - go straight to "Jeopardy"!

[quark]

I don't get Western women going for the swarthy-look thing. It's why so many of them & their offspring are abused slaves in such garden spots as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan, India...

[wideawake]

I'm sure that many Western women are equally puzzled by the Asian fixation that many Western men have.

[quark]

Agree. Stay in your swim lanes.

[Revolting cat!]

In the meantime, maybe he can run for guvnor of California!?

[weegee]

He could play a Terry Thomas's father:

[weegee]

Here's his filmography from IMDB.COM

1. Cyber Meltdown (2004) (in production)
2. Return of the Thief of Baghdad (2003) (in production)
3. Hidalgo (2004) (completed)
4. Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (2003) (completed) .... Monsieur Ibrahim
   
   
5. "Mythes urbains, Les" (2003) TV Series .... The Taxi Driver
   ... aka "Urban Myth Chillers" (2003)
6. "Shaka Zulu: The Citadel" (2001) (mini) TV Series
7. Parole Officer, The (2001) .... Victor
   
   
8. 13th Warrior, The (1999) .... Melchisidek
   ... aka Thirteenth Warrior, The (1999)
9. Heaven Before I Die (1997) .... Khalil Gibran
10. Umm Kulthum (1996) (voice) .... Narrator
    ... aka Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt (1996)
11. Gulliver's Travels (1996) (TV) .... The Sorcerer
12. Katharina die Große (1995) (TV) .... Razumovsky
    ... aka Catherine the Great (1995) (TV)
13. Lie Down with Lions (1994) (TV) .... Safar Khan
    ... aka Red Eagle (1994) (TV)
14. Dehk, we leab we gad we hob (1993)
15. "Mayrig" (1993) (mini) TV Series .... Hagop
16. Beyond Justice (1992) .... Emir
    ... aka Desert Law (1992) (UK: video title)
17. Tengoku no Taizai (1992) .... Tsai Mang Hua
    ... aka Heavenly Sin (1992)
18. Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris (1992) (TV) .... Marquis Hippolite
19. 588 rue paradis (1992) .... Hagop
20. Aragoz, al- (1991) .... Mohamed Gad El Kareem
    ... aka Puppeteer, The (1991) (USA)
21. Moaten al Myssri, al- (1991)
    ... aka War in the Land of Egypt (1991)
22. "Memories of Midnight" (1991) (mini) TV Series .... Constantin Demiris
    ... aka "Sidney Sheldon's Memories of Midnight" (1991) (mini) (USA: complete title)
23. Mayrig (1991) .... Hagop
    ... aka Mother (1991)
24. Rainbow Thief, The (1990) .... Dima
25. Viaggio d'amore (1990) .... Rico
    ... aka Journey of Love (1990)
26. Mountains of the Moon (1990) (uncredited)
27. Roi de Patagonie, Le (1990) (TV) .... Le consul d'Aninot
    ... aka Moi, Antoine de Tounens, roi de Patagonie (1990) (TV) (France)
    
    
28. "Principe del deserto, Il" (1989) (mini) TV Series .... General Magruf
    ... aka "Lion of the Desert" (1989) (mini) (West Germany)
    ... aka "Maktub la legge del deserto" (1989) (mini) (Italy: rerun title)
29. Quattro piccole donne (1989) (TV)
30. Keys to Freedom (1988)
    ... aka Death Dealers (1988)
31. Pyramides bleues, Les (1988) .... Alex
    ... aka Novice, The (1988)
    ... aka Paradise Calling (1988) (Europe: dubbed version English title)
32. Possédés, Les (1988) .... Stepan
    ... aka Possessed, The (1988)
33. Grand Larceny (1987) .... Rashid Saud
34. Martingale, La (1987)
35. Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) (TV) .... Czar Nicholas II
36. Harem (1986) (TV) .... Sultan Hassan
37. "Peter the Great" (1986) (mini) TV Series .... Prince Feodor Romodanovsky
38. Top Secret! (1984) .... Agent Cedric
39. "Far Pavilions, The" (1984) (mini) TV Series .... Koda Dad
    ... aka "Blade of Steel" (1984) (mini)
    ... aka "Palast der Winde" (1984) (mini) (West Germany)
40. Ayoub (1983)
41. Green Ice (1981) .... Meno Argenti
42. Oh, Heavenly Dog! (1980) .... Bart
43. Pleasure Palace (1980) (TV) .... Louie Lefevre
44. Baltimore Bullet, The (1980) .... The Deacon
45. S*H*E (1980) (TV) .... Baron Cesare Magnasco
    
    
46. Bloodline (1979) .... Ivo Palazzi
    ... aka Blutspur (1979) (West Germany)
    ... aka Sidney Sheldon's Bloodline (1979)
47. Ashanti (1979) .... Prince Hassan
    ... aka Ashanti, Land of No Mercy (1979)
48. Mysteries of the Great Pyramid (1978) (TV) .... Host
49. Pink Panther Strikes Again, The (1976) (uncredited) .... Cameo appearance (Egyptian assasin)
50. Ace Up My Sleeve (1975) .... Andre Ferren
    ... aka Crime and Passion (1975) (USA)
    ... aka Frankensteins Spukschloß (1976) (West Germany)
51. Funny Girl to Funny Lady (1975) (TV) (archive footage) .... Nick Arnstein
52. Funny Lady (1975) .... Nicky Arnstein
53. Juggernaut (1974) .... Captain Brunel
    ... aka Terror On the Britannic (1974) (USA)
54. Tamarind Seed, The (1974) .... Feodor Sverdlov
55. "Île mystérieuse, L'" (1973) (mini) TV Series .... Le capitaine Nemo
56. Isla misteriosa y el capitán Nemo, La (1973) .... Captain Nemo
    ... aka Île mystérieuse, L' (1973)
    ... aka Isla misteriosa, La (1973)
    ... aka Isola misteriosa e il Capitano Nemo, L' (1973)
    ... aka Jules Verne's Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (1973)
    ... aka Jules Verne's Mysterious Island of Dr. Nemo (1973)
    ... aka Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo, The (1973)
    ... aka Mysterious Island, The (1973) (USA)
57. Droit d'aimer, Le (1972) .... Pierre
    ... aka Brainwashed (1972)
    ... aka Diritto d'amare, Il (1972) (Italy)
    ... aka Right to Love, The (1972)
58. Casse, Le (1971) .... Abel Zacharia
    ... aka Burglars, The (1972) (USA)
    ... aka Scassinatori, Gli (1971) (Italy)
59. Horsemen, The (1971) .... Uraz
60. Last Valley, The (1970) .... Vogel
61. Trois hommes sur un cheval (1970) (uncredited) .... Un turfiste
    ... aka Three Men On a Horse (1970) (International: English title)
    
    
62. Appointment, The (1969) .... Federico Fendi
63. Che! (1969) .... Che Guevara
64. Mackenna's Gold (1969) .... Colorado
65. Mayerling (1968) .... Archduke Rudolph
66. Funny Girl (1968) .... Nick Arnstein
67. C'era una volta (1967) .... Prince Rodrigo Fernandez
    ... aka Belle et le cavalier, La (1967) (France)
    ... aka Cinderella: Italian Style (1967)
    ... aka More Than a Miracle (1967) (USA)
68. Night of the Generals, The (1966) .... Major Grau, Intellegence
    ... aka Nuit des généraux, La (1966) (France)
69. Poppies Are Also Flowers (1966) .... Dr. Rad
    ... aka Danger Grows Wild (1966) (UK)
    ... aka Opium Connection, The (1966)
    ... aka Poppy Is Also a Flower, The (1966) (USA)
70. Doctor Zhivago (1965) .... Yuri Zhivago
71. Marco the Magnificent (1965) .... Emir Alla Hou
    ... aka Marco the Magnificent (1965) (UK) (USA)
    ... aka Fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo, La (1965) (France)
    ... aka Marko Polo (1965) (Yugoslavia: Serbian title)
    ... aka Meravigliose avventure di Marco Polo, Le (1965) (Italy)
    ... aka Scacchiere di Dio, Lo (1965) (Italy)
72. Genghis Khan (1965) .... Genghis Khan
    ... aka Dschingis Khan (1965/I) (West Germany)
    ... aka Dzingis-Kan (1965)
73. Yellow Rolls-Royce, The (1964) .... Davich
74. Behold a Pale Horse (1964) .... Francisco
75. Fall of the Roman Empire, The (1964) .... Sohamus
76. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) .... Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish
77. Bidaya wa nihaya (1960)
    ... aka Beginning and the End, The (1960)
    ... aka Dead Among the Living (1960)
    
    
78. Maweed maa maghoul (1959) (as Omar El-Cherif)
    ... aka Rendezvous with a Stranger (1959) (International: English title)
79. Seraa fil Nil (1959) .... Muhassab
    ... aka Struggle on the Nile (1959) (International: English title)
80. La anam (1958)
    ... aka No Tomorrow (1958) (International: English title)
81. Shatie el asrar (1958)
    ... aka Hidden Shore (1958) (International: English title)
82. Goha (1958) .... Goha
83. Siraa Fil-Mina (1956)
    ... aka Dark Waters (1956)
84. Châtelaine du Liban, La (1956) .... Mokrir
    ... aka Castellana del Libano, La (1956) (Italy)
    ... aka Desert Detour (1956) (USA: TV title)
    ... aka Lebanese Mission, The (1956) (USA)
85. Ayyamine el helwa (1955)
    ... aka Our Best Days (1955) (International: English title)
86. Shaytan al-Sahra (1954)
    ... aka Desert Devil (1954)
87. Siraa Fil-Wadi (1953) .... Ahmed
    ... aka Blazing Sky, The (1953)
    ... aka Blazing Sun, The (1953)
    
    

---

Filmography as: Actor, Writer, Himself, Notable TV Guest Appearances

---

Writer - filmography

1. "Mythes urbains, Les" (2003) TV Series (writer)
   ... aka "Urban Myth Chillers" (2003)
   
   

---

Filmography as: Actor, Writer, Himself, Notable TV Guest Appearances

---

Himself - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1970s) (1960s)

1. 75 Years of the Academy Awards: An Unofficial History (2003) (TV) .... Himself/interviewee
2. Building the Great Pyramid (2002) (TV) (voice) .... Nakht
   
   
3. Mysteries of Egypt (1998) .... Grandfather
   ... aka Egypt (1998) (USA: short title)
4. Lebanon... Imprisoned Splendour (1996) .... Himself
5. Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic (1995) (TV) .... Himself
6. Bridge Deluxe with Omar Sharif (1993) (VG) .... Himself
7. American Film Institute Salute to David Lean, The (1990) (TV) .... Himself
   
   
8. Festival Game, The (1970)
   
   
9. Sophia: A Self-Portrait (1968) (TV) .... Himself
10. Vienna: The Years Remembered (1968) (uncredited) .... Himself
11. Car That Became a Star, The (1965) (uncredited) .... Himself
12. Moscow In Madrid (1965) (uncredited) .... Himself
13. Pasternak (1965) (uncredited) .... Himself
14. Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean (1965) (uncredited) .... Himself
    
    

[Tax-chick]

I don't get Western women going for the swarthy-look thing.

No accounting for tastes, I guess. I admire a variety of types of men, from a strictly aesthetic standpoint, but only a ditz marries a man for his looks, no matter what race or ethnicity he is. Plenty of women are married to selfish, obnoxious, abusive American men.