Omar Sharif was born in Egypt, and he currently resides in Cairo. He is known for his roles in many movies, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and Doctor Zhivago (1965). His most memorable role, in my opinion, is his role as a Jewish gambler in Funny Girl (1968), opposite Barbara Streisand. That is his most memorable role, to me, not because of how well he played the part, but because of the controversy it stirred up. Omar, an Egyptian, was playing a Jew in an American movie, opposite a famed Jewish actress who openly supported Israel, and the film was in pre-production when the Six Day War in 1967 was fought.
Sharif's father was originally a Christian who left Lebanon for Egypt. Omar, born in Egypt, was raised as a Melkite Greek Catholic. Born Michel Demitri Shalhoub, Sharif was an educated man with a couple college degrees, and he spoke six languages - including Arabic.
First, a famed Egyptian actor, Omar moved to American movies, beginning that part of his career with his first English-speaking role as Sharif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia. His role in Lawrence of Arabia defined Sharif as an acclaimed actor, landing him an Oscar nomination, and a Golden Globe Award.
A few years later, after a number of other roles, Sharif played the title role in Doctor Zhivago.
In 1967, while Omar Sharif rehearsed for his role in Funny Girl, the Six Day War broke out, a war between Israel and her neighbors, led by Egypt (known as the United Arab Republic at the time). Immediately, considering Sharif's connection to Egypt, and his role as a Jewish gambler opposite pro-Israel Jewish American actress Barbara Streisand, Omar nearly lost the role. The war, however, ended quickly. Within six days, Israel was victorious, winning decisively in the land war. Israeli forces had taken control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
Omar understood the tension. As he wrote in his 1976 autobiography, "All the investments in the production were Jewish. The atmosphere of the studio was pro-Israeli and my co-star was Jewish. Most of the newspapers backed Israel. And I was an Egyptian."
The tension smoothed over for a while, after William Wyler, the director, threatened to leave as well, if Sharif's contract was tossed by the producer, Ray Stark.
"We're in America, the land of freedom," said Wyler, "and you're ready to make yourselves guilty of the same things we're against? Not hiring an actor because he's Egyptian is outrageous. If Omar doesn't make the film, I don't make it either!"
After filming was complete, and the noise regarding the controversy had died down, the publicity photo for the film hit the media, and it was of Omar Sharif, and Barabara Streisand, kissing.
In Egypt, the kiss encouraged the launch of a campaign to revoke Sharif's Egyptian citizenship. In America, it led to a short romance between Sharif and Streisand, who were both married to someone else at the time. The relationship lasted the length of the production, and no more.
The affair was a contributing factor to the breakup of Streisand's already shaky marriage to Elliott Gould. The director, however, channeled the romantic energy between the actors, making the performances between Sharif and Streisand even more convincing on screen.
Filming was wrapped up in the Fall of 1967, and the film graced the theaters as a huge hit beginning September 19, 1968. The audience loved the film, and the American audience either did not realize, or did not care, that the lead actor had nearly lost his role over the fighting in the Middle East. The controversy over Sharif's role is now just a small footnote in the history of the movie industry. The war over Israel's existence continues.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Omar Sharif - Wikipedia
Behind the Camera: Funny Girl - Turner Classic Movies
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