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Egyptian supermodel and rising actor Tara Emad appeared this year in the Arab-language version of the U.S. drama series “Suits,” and in October was appointed the ambassador for Chanel, becoming the first Arab model to feature in the brand’s advertising. Ever since she was a little girl, Emad has had a comfortable relationship with the camera, she tells Variety at the Red Sea Film Festival, where she attended the premiere of “All Roads Lead to Rome.”

“My family always says that whenever they would take pictures of us as a family, I was always there and ready and looking at the camera and already posing,” Emad says. “I was never shy.” She booked her first modeling gig at 14 with a magazine shoot, and was surprised to find herself on the cover. “A decade later, I was still modeling and traveling the world,” she says.

She was soon pursuing...

Omar Sharif Jr. got early career advice from his celebrated grandfather, the legendary Hollywood actor Omar Sharif best known for his Golden Globe-winning performances in 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia” and the title role in 1965’s “Dr. Zhivago”: Acting is not enough.

“My grandfather used to always say there’s nothing more boring than being an actor,” the 38-year-old Sharif told TheWrap with a chuckle. “Later on in his life, he used to take roles just literally to pay off gambling debts. It wasn’t for anything else. It was to cover costs at the racetrack.”

Despite his grandfather’s words, Omar Sharif Jr. did become an actor — and he recently joined the cast of the long-running Israeli rom-com series “Beauty and the Baker.” But being a performer is indeed not enough for the younger Sharif, who has been an outspoken LGBTQ activist since famously coming out as gay in...

Farah Khan will be conferred with 'Faten Hamama Excellence Award' (for excellence in Indian cinema) at the on-going 37th Cairo International Film Festival (Ciff). As a special tribute, this year's coveted 10-day film festival honors the works of late Egyptian icons Faten Hamama, Nourel-Sheriff and Omar Sharif - all of whom passed away in the past year.

It's going to be a double whammy for Farah who's eagerly looking forward to attend the film festival. Besides being felicitated at the Ciff, the organizers have also planned a big premiere of one of her most successful films - Om Shanti Om (Oso) to be attended by the who's who of the Egyptian film industry. In addition to that, there will be performances of Farah's songs to welcome her on stage.

The opening night of the festival had a huge screen playing the montage of Oso.

Omar Sharif in 'Doctor Zhivago.' Egyptian star Omar Sharif, 'The Karate Kid' producer Jerry Weintraub: Brief career recaps A little late in the game – and following the longish Theodore Bikel article posted yesterday – below are brief career recaps of a couple of film veterans who died in July 2015: actor Omar Sharif and producer Jerry Weintraub. A follow-up post will offer an overview of the career of peplum (sword-and-sandal movie) actor Jacques Sernas, whose passing earlier this month has been all but ignored by the myopic English-language media. Omar Sharif: Film career beginnings in North Africa The death of Egyptian film actor Omar Sharif at age 83 following a heart attack on July 10 would have been ignored by the English-language media (especially in the U.S.) as well had Sharif remained a star within the Arabic-speaking world. After all, an "international" star is only worth remembering...

In 2014, I interviewed Omar Sharif, the Egyptian legend who died last week. A month later, the actor was entertaining my family and me at his hotel, telling us how he and Peter O’Toole coped in the desert and about the star who broke his heart

“Is he still gorgeous?” Such was the most frequent question I was asked after interviewing Omar Sharif in Dublin last May. He was, I thought; at 82 every bit as charming and debonair off-screen as he was on.

But during the brief time I spent with him, Sharif was at pains to point out his life wasn’t quite so glamorous as the casual viewer might assume. He’d had only one love in his life, he said. His wife Faten Hamama – they divorced 40 years ago; she died in January.

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In the lyrical 1954 melodrama Struggle in the Valley (also called The Blazing Sky), his first starring role, Omar Sharif plays a young, college-educated peasant who finds himself warring with a local Pasha, the father of the woman he loves (played by Faten Hamama, whom the actor married). The director, Youssef Chahine, was one of Egypt’s most important filmmakers; much of his later work was acclaimed internationally, but here, it’s all florid emotions and stacked-deck injustices. Sharif ends the film wounded and shirtless, staggering out of the Temple of Karnak with his lady love (also wounded, not quite shirtless), several bodies in their wake. It’s ludicrous stuff, but also somehow deeply compelling, thanks to the chemistry of its two incalculably beautiful leads. As the romantic, earnest Ahmed, Sharif is smoldering, yet reserved: He may be playing a peasant, but he has an almost aristocratic composure.After that auspicious debut,...

Omar Sharif, the international film star famed for roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has passed away of a heart attack at the age of 83, leaving behind a limelight legacy rivaling any of Hollywood’s favorite leading men.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt as Michel Demitri Shalhoub, Sharif changed his name as a young university graduate landing his first film roles in his native country. In what seemed like no time for the life of a beginning actor, Sharif—in part due to his famous good looks—soon gained traction in the world of film, but also in the tabloid press, converting to Islam and marrying co-star and Egyptian actress Faten Hamama in 1955. These trysts with female leads, however, would continue during their marriage, and Sharif’s flirtations would soon become almost as notable as his films.

Still, Sharif’s screen presence won out when his first English-language film...

Famed Egyptian actor actor Omar Sharif has died at 83, having suffered a heart attack in a hospital in Cairo. It was reported in May of this year that Sharif was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and that he would often confuse the names of some of his films and mistake fans for friends. He is survived by Tarek El-Sharif, his only son from his ex-wife Faten Hamama (who passed earlier this year in January).... Read More...

Omar Sharif, who has died aged 83, was defined by three great Anglo-American films: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. Here we look back at his career high points

Born in Egypt in 1932, the son of a Lebanese wood merchant, Sharif got a degree in maths and physics at Cairo university before heading for Rada in London to study acting. His first significant film role came back in Egypt, when he was cast in Struggle in the Valley, directed by Youssef Chahine. Sharif played an engineer conducting an illicit love affair with his business rivals’ daughter; she was played by Faten Hamama, and the pair were married shortly after.

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Actor best known for roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

Actor Omar Sharif has died aged 83. The Egypt-born actor, who had stepped away from acting since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died following a heart attack this afternoon in a hospital in Cairo.

Sharif won two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.

He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor Zhivago.

Sharif was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Alexandria on April 10, 1932, and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Sharif began his acting career in 1953 with a role in romantic drama Sira` Fi al-Wadi before appearing in more than 20 Egyptian productions, including Ayyamna el helwa with singer Abdel Halim Hafez, La anam (1958), Sayedat el kasr (1959) and Anna Karenina adaptation Nahr el hub (1961). He also starred with his wife, Egyptian actress...

Acting great Omar Sharif has died at the age of 83.

The Egyptian actor was best known for his leading role in Doctor Zhivago and major supporting role in Lawrence of Arabia.

Omar Sharif 1932-2015: Lawrence of Arabia star's incredible career in pictures

His agent Steve Kenis confirmed today (July 10): "He suffered a heart attack this afternoon in a hospital in Cairo."

In May, Kenis had revealed that the actor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

After starring in over 20 Egyptian movies, Sharif made his English language debut in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.

Omar Sharif 1932-2015: Tributes and reactions from the stars

He won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the performance, and also picked up an Oscar nomination.

Several other major roles followed, and Sharif reunited with Lean in 1965 to lead his adaptation of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago.

Sharif's last big...

Omar Sharif, by the far the most iconic film star ever to emerge out of the Arab world, has died at the age of 83. Sharif’s agent revealed he had suffered a heart attack in a hospital in Cairo. It had been revealed in May that Sharif was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Sharif, born Michel Shalhoub in Egypt to a Lebanese Greek Catholic family, converted to Islam upon meeting Faten Hamama, the love of his life, frequent co-star as well as wife and mother to his only son…...

Omar Sharif has died at the age of 83. The Egyptian actor, best known for roles in Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, passed away this morning.

In May his son revealed the star had been suffering from Alzheimer’s. He was married to fellow actor Faten Hamama, who he co-starred with in in the 1953 film The Blazing Sun.

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Omar Sharif, who made audiences swoon in "Dr. Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia," died Friday at the age of 83. According to his agent, Sharif passed away after suffering a heart attack in Cairo. He had also been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

With his dark good looks and debonair flair, Sharif became an international heartthrob. He was also a fine actor who earned an Oscar nomination for "Lawrence of Arabia" and won Golden Globes for that movie as well as "Doctor Zhivago."

Born in 1932 in Egypt, Sharif developed an interest in acting as a teenager. He studied mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, then headed to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In the 1950s, he became a well-known star in the Egyptian film industry.

In 1962, he appeared in his first English-language film, David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia," and the accolades he received threw the door open to Hollywood.

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,...

Once a handsome dashing leading man who starred in one of the most loved epic romantic films. “Doctor Zhivago,” Omar Sharif now is battling Alzheimer’s disease, his agent confirmed to the Associated Press after it was revealed in a Spanish newspaper.The thrice Golden Globes winner and Oscar nominated Lebanese-Egyptian Christian born actor converted to Islam in 1955 when he met and married his wife Faten Hamama, and in 1957 they had a son, Tarek.Sharif was well educated, obtaining a degree in mathematics and physics before entering the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. After working in Egyptian films, David […]...

Faten Hamama has died at the age of 83.

The Egyptian film icon starred in over 100 movies over the course of an illustrious career.

Hamama's death following health problems was confirmed by Egypt's official news agency Mena.

Her son Tarek El-Sharif confirmed his mother's passing on Saturday (January 17), but did not make clear the cause of death.

Hanama made her acting debut as a child, and came to be known as the 'Lady of the Arabic Screen'.

She married fellow actor Omar Sharif in the 1950s, with the pair going on to star in many films together.

They appeared together in 1961's River of Love, which is based on Anna Karenina, before divorcing in 1974.

Hanama is survived by her son Tarek, her daughter Nadia Zulficar, and her third husband Mohammad Abdel Wahab Mahmoud.

"Egyptian actress Faten Hamama died on Saturday at the age of 84," reports Ahram Online. "She was one of Egypt’s most prominent actresses in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s…. She was chosen the 'Star of the Century' at the 2001 Alexandria International Festival, honoring her lifetime of achievement in Egyptian cinema. Hamama married Egyptian film star Omar Sharif in 1955. They co-starred in several movies together and became one of Egypt's most famous celebrity couples, before divorcing in the mid-1970s." We're collecting further reports as they come in and we've posted a video tribute. » - David Hudson...

"Egyptian actress Faten Hamama died on Saturday at the age of 84," reports Ahram Online. "She was one of Egypt’s most prominent actresses in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s…. She was chosen the 'Star of the Century' at the 2001 Alexandria International Festival, honoring her lifetime of achievement in Egyptian cinema. Hamama married Egyptian film star Omar Sharif in 1955. They co-starred in several movies together and became one of Egypt's most famous celebrity couples, before divorcing in the mid-1970s." We're collecting further reports as they come in and we've posted a video tribute. » - David Hudson...

Fifty years of movie magic, from Tunisia to Iraq, as chosen by Omar al-Qattan, film-maker and chair of Shubbak – A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture

The Night (Al-Lail)

Mohammad Malas, 1993

A great Syrian film. It is about the director's home town of Quneitra, on the borders of the Golan Heights, which was almost completely destroyed by the Israelis after the 1967 war and remains in ruins. The film is a historical-autobiographical epic of three generations, taking you from the Syrian fight for independence against the French in the 1930s, through the 1948 war with Israel, and into recent times. Malas is probably the most highly regarded living Syrian director – he is still based in Damascus as far as I know – and this film is heavily influenced by Tarkovsky in the use of long, contemplative dream and memory sequences where time is as important an expressive element as space, dialogue or movement.

The...