Actor: Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif was already a major Egyptian star when Lawrence of Arabia gave him an entrance that takes several minutes to arrive from the horizon, and it brought a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl followed, and he became one of the few Arab actors of his era to sustain an international career. He was a world-class contract bridge player who wrote a syndicated column and competed professionally, and has said the gambling cost him considerable money.