Rest Well, Omar Sharif

With the passing Friday of Omar Sharif Friday in Cairo,  I got to thinking, that with people like him and  Peter O'Toole now gone, there are now no great, flashy international movie stars left, at least not those who are talented enough to know (and keep learning) their craft.

Ryan Gosling? Nope.

Channing Tatum? There's a chance a few years down the road, given his work in Foxcatcher, and even The Vow. I'll even give him Magic Mike, because there's nothing wrong with exploring your storied past if you have one, and after all, every actor has to eat, as even Mr. Sharif knew, while waiting for That Part. I give you The 13th Warrior, ladies and gentlemen, from 1999:

But there was greatness left in him in 2004, with his role as Sheikh Riyadh in Hidalgo, the mentor and friend to Viggo Mortensen's Frank T. Hopkins:

Which brings to mind Mr. Sharif's breakout role in 1962's Lawrence of Arabia (I've often wondered if he minded that his Sherif Ali, though certainly commanding onscreen, wound up somewhat secondary to Mr. O'Toole's Lawrence).

Rest in peace, sir,