David Lean was a perfectionist. He was the kind of director who would wait hours for a specific cloud to move just to get the right light for a three-second shot. So, when he decided to adapt Boris Pasternak’s Nobel Prize-winning novel, the stakes were sky-high. Most people assume the lead role was a lock from day one. It wasn't. Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago remains one of the most interesting casting "accidents" in cinema history. Honestly, if things had gone according to the original plan, we might have seen Peter O'Toole or even Paul Newman wandering through the snowy Urals.
The Egyptian Who Became a Russian Icon
The story goes that Omar Sharif actually wanted to play Pasha, the idealistic-turned-cold revolutionary. He loved the book. He sent a telegram to Lean asking for the part. Lean, having worked with Sharif on Lawrence of Arabia, had a different idea. He saw something in Sharif’s eyes—a specific kind of soulful, poetic vulnerability—that he felt was essential for Yuri Zhivago.
But there was a problem. A big one.
Sharif was Egyptian. Zhivago was quintessentially Russian.
To bridge that gap, the makeup team had to get creative. They literally taped back Sharif’s eyes every single morning to give him a more "slavic" appearance. His hairline was shaved and straightened. He spent the entire shoot physically altered. It’s wild to think about now, but in 1965, this was how a British director made an Egyptian actor "look the part" for a story set in the Bolshevik Revolution.
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Preparation and the "Puppy-Dog" Critique
Sharif didn't just show up and look pretty. He took the role deeply seriously. To get into the headspace of a man who is essentially a passive observer of history, he even directed his own son, Tarek Sharif, who played the young Yuri in the film’s opening. He thought seeing his own flesh and blood would help him connect with the character's internal life.
Not everyone loved the result.
Some critics at the time—and even modern film historians—argue that Sharif played the role too softly. They called it "puppy-dog eyes." They felt he was too bewildered by the revolution. But that was kinda the point. Zhivago isn't a hero. He’s a doctor and a poet caught in a meat grinder. He’s a man who wants to love his wife Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) and his mistress Lara (Julie Christie) while the world literally burns down around him.
Behind the Scenes: Wax, Soap, and Frozen Sets
You’ve probably seen the "Ice Palace" at Varykino. It’s the most famous sequence in the movie. You can almost feel the chill coming off the screen.
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Guess what? It was mostly wax.
Since they filmed much of the movie in Spain during a heatwave, the crew had to improvise. That "ice" inside the dacha was layers of melted paraffin wax and salicylic acid powder. The "snow" outside? Thousands of tons of crushed marble and white plastic. Imagine Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, bundled in heavy furs, sweating under the Spanish sun while pretending to freeze to death.
- The Daffodils: They imported 4,000 bulbs from the Netherlands.
- The Moscow Set: A ten-acre replica of Moscow was built near Madrid. It took 18 months to construct.
- The Sleighs: They had tiny hidden wheels because there wasn't enough real snow to glide on.
The Friction With Julie Christie
Despite the "Lara's Theme" romance that everyone remembers, the vibe on set wasn't always rosy. Sharif reportedly found Julie Christie’s habit of eating fried egg sandwiches between takes a bit of a mood killer. He was trying to be a brooding poet; she was a relaxed Brit having lunch.
Christie later admitted she barely remembered working with him. She once told an interviewer that while he was charming, he didn't leave a lasting impression on her off-camera. It’s a funny reality check for a film that defined "epic romance" for a generation.
Why Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago Still Hits Different
The film won five Oscars, but Sharif didn't win one for his performance. He did take home a Golden Globe, though. The legacy of Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago isn't about technical acting perfection. It’s about the "look."
That look through the frosted window? That’s the movie.
He managed to embody a specific kind of internal exile. He’s a man who belongs nowhere. The Bolsheviks don't want him because he’s an intellectual. The old world is gone. He’s just a guy trying to survive.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Cinephiles
If you’re planning to revisit this three-hour-plus epic, or if you’ve never seen it, here’s how to actually appreciate what Sharif did:
- Watch the eyes, not the dialogue. Sharif has very few "big" speeches. His entire performance is reactive.
- Compare the halves. The first half is about the physician; the second is about the poet. Notice how Sharif’s posture changes as the character loses everything.
- Listen to the silence. David Lean used Maurice Jarre’s score to fill the gaps where Zhivago couldn't speak.
Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago was a massive gamble that paid off. It turned a Cairo-born actor into a global face of Russian literature. Even with the "sixties-fication" of the costumes and the weird eye-tape, his performance captures the tragic helplessness of an individual lost in the gears of a revolution.
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To dive deeper into the technical side of the film, look for the 4K restoration released recently. It highlights the incredible work of cinematographer Freddie Young, which makes Sharif's performance feel even more intimate against the massive Spanish-built Russian landscapes.
Next Steps for Film History Buffs:
Check out the making-of documentaries specifically focusing on production designer John Box. His ability to turn a Spanish summer into a Russian winter provided the literal stage for Sharif’s most famous role. You can also compare this version to the 2002 miniseries starring Hans Matheson to see how a more "book-accurate" (and less "puppy-eyed") Zhivago changes the story's emotional weight.