The passing of Omar Sharif on Friday saw instant heartache come from across the cinema world and beyond. One of the last great male icons from Hollywood’s golden age – the suave, dark-eyed and dashingly handsome gent who sent hearts racing in Doctor Zhivago , Funny Girl and numerous others – had gone. But from Egypt and the wider Middle East, there was distinctly more emotional outpouring. Sharif represented the Arab world on the global stage; its biggest – and arguably only – star to ever truly break out internationally. Director ofOscar-nominated Netflix Originals documentary The Square Jehane Noujaim described the late actor as a global citizen.
