Stories
Stories
Sands of Time
Well before he arrived at HBS, Michel Ray de Carvalho (MBA 1970) had led a charmed life. But it was only destined to get better. Already a veteran child actor at 17, he was tapped to play one of Peter O'Toole's young Arab sidekicks in the film Lawrence of Arabia, reissued last year for its 50th anniversary. In addition to having to learn how to ride a camel, his experience included tagging along for rest and recuperation in Beirut with O'Toole and Omar Sharif as—with the help of countless female admirers—they relaxed from the rigors of location shoots in the desert. Memorable partying ensued, but as de Carvalho commented to the Irish Daily Mail (November 12, 2012), "We couldn't possibly discuss the fun in an elegant family newspaper…they were the superstars and I was the bag carrier. But even superstars can only handle so much. And then the bag carrier…"
The son of a Brazilian-diplomat father and English mother, de Carvalho attended school in Switzerland and became such an accomplished skier that he represented Great Britain in the 1968 Winter Olympics, and again in 1972 and 1976, both times in the luge. By then, he had decided to give up moviemaking to attend Harvard College and HBS. He later embarked on a career in banking, married into the Heineken brewery empire, settled in London, raised a family, and rose to become vice-chairman of Citigroup. Perhaps his only regret: "Looking back, it was probably a mistake quitting acting."
Post a Comment
Related Stories
-
- 01 Jun 2025
- HBS Magazine
Narrative Arc
Re: Ty Kim (MBA 2000); By: Julia Hanna -
- 16 Apr 2024
- Hollywood Reporter
Netflix Enters Its Dan Lin (MBA 1999) Era
Re: Daniel Lin (MBA 1999) -
- 01 Sep 2023
- HBS Alumni Bulletin
Turning Point: Listen to the Music
Re: Marnie Tattersall (MBA 1972) -
- 18 Jul 2023
- The First Five Years
The First Five Years: Brooke Biederman (MBA 2019)
Re: Brooke Biederman (MBA 2019); Rob Biederman (MBA 2014); Leonard A. Schlesinger (Baker Foundation Professor Chair, Practice Faculty); Christina R. Wing (Senior Lecturer of Business Administration); By: Robert Bochnak