Omar Sharif, 1932-2015

Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Omar Sharif, the Egyptian-born actor who starred in successful epics like Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, has died at the age of 83.

I have to admit that it's a bit difficult for me to write about Sharif, considering that I'm not a fan of his two biggest movies. I find both of them to drag on way too long. As I've said about Lawrence of Arabia, those desert shots only look spectacular because earlier directors didn't have ultra-wide screen technology at their disposal. I've also made my thoughts on Doctor Zhivago clear. So if I were going to recommend a movie with Omar Sharif in it, my first thought would be Juggernaut, even though Sharif isn't a main character.

TCM has a remembrance of Sharif, although at this time I don't believe they've announced a schedule change to show any of his movies.