Image of Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif, the Franco-Arabic actor best known for playing Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and the title role in Doctor Zhivago (1965), was born Michel Demitri Shalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt to Joseph Shalhoub, a lumber merchant, and his wife, Claire. Of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, the young Michel was raised a Roman Catholic. He was educated at Victoria College in Alexandria and took a degree in mathematics and physics from Cairo University with a major. Afterward graduating from university, he entered the family lumber business. Before making his English-language film debut with "Lawrence of Arabia", for which he earned him a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination and international fame, Sharif became a star in Egyptian cinema. His first movie was the Egyptian film Siraa Fil-Wadi (1954) ("The Blazing Sun") in 1953, opposite the renowned Egyptian actress Faten Hamama whom he married in 1955. He converted to Islam to marry Hamama and took the name Omar al-Sharif. The couple had one child (Tarek Sharif, who was born in 1957 and portrayed the young Zhivago in the eponymous picture) and divorced in 1974. Sharif never remarried. Beginning in the 1960s, Sharif earned a reputation as one of the world's best known contract bridge players. In the 1970s and '80s, he co-wrote a syndicated newspaper bridge column for the Chicago Tribune. Sharif also wrote several books on bridge and has licensed his name to a bridge computer game, "Omar Sharif Bridge", which has been marketed since 1992. Sharif told the press in 2006 that he no longer played bridge, explaining, "I decided I didn't want to be a slave to any passion any more except for my work. I had too many passions, bridge, horses, gambling. I want to live a different kind of life, be with my family more because I didn't give them enough time." As an actor, Sharif had made a comeback in 2003 playing the title role of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in the French film Monsieur Ibrahim (2003). For his performance, he won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actor César, France's equivalent of the Oscar, from the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma.


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Born:
Apr 10, 1932 In Alexandria, Egypt
Movie/TV Credits:
134
First Appeared:
In the series The Oscars 1953-03-19
Latest Project:
Series God Bless Your Home 2022-04-02
Known For
Poster of Monk
Poster of Laughter, Joy, Work and Love
Poster of My Only Love
Poster of For the Sake of a Woman
Filmography
Series God Bless Your Home 2022-04-02
Movie The Crime 2022-01-05
Series Finding Ola 2022-02-03
Movie Indiana Jones: The Search for the Lost Golden Age Self - Actor (archive footage) 2021-05-07
Movie Bara El Manhag 2021-12-09
Movie Omar Sharif: Citizen of the World Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage) 2020-02-15
Movie Stardust Hollywood - Sternenstaub und Götterwelten Self 2013-02-23
Movie Rock the Casbah Moulay Hassan 2013-09-11
Movie A Castle in Italy Omar Sharif 2013-10-30
Movie Belmondo, il était une fois le beau monde Intervenant 2011-10-25
Movie J'ai oublié de te dire Jaume 2010-03-12
Series The Last Templar Konstantine 2009-01-25
Movie La Traversée du désir Self 2009-03-16
Movie A Night at the Movies: The Gigantic World of Epics Self 2009-12-20
Movie The Traveller Hassan 2009-06-25
Movie 10,000 BC Narrator (voice) 2008-03-04
Movie Hassan and Marcus 2008-07-03
Movie Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs Self - Presenter 2007-09-24
Movie Fire at My Heart Principe Nicola 2006-01-01
Series The Ten Commandments Jethro 2006-04-10
Series Kronprinz Rudolf Hans Canon 2006-04-30
Movie One Night with the King Prince Memucan 2006-10-10
Series St. Peter Pietro 2005-10-24
Movie Shaka Zulu: The Citadel The King 2005-05-03
Movie St. Peter San Pietro 2005-10-24
Movie Hidalgo Sheikh Riyadh 2004-02-04
Movie Hollywood Legenden Self 2004-01-01
Movie Looking for Sophia Himself 2004-09-17
Movie Monsieur Ibrahim Monsieur Ibrahim 2003-09-17
Movie The Making of 'Lawrence of Arabia' Self (archive footage) 2003-09-22
Series Monk Unknown 2002-07-12
Movie Pyramid Nakht (voice) 2002-10-28
Movie The Parole Officer Victor 2001-08-10
Movie The Making of Lawrence of Arabia Self 2000-01-01
Movie Going Public 2000-01-01
Movie Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend Narrator 1999-03-14
Movie The 13th Warrior Melchisidek 1999-08-13
Movie Mysteries of Egypt Grandfather 1998-01-01
Movie Heaven Before I Die Khalil Gibran 1997-01-01
Movie Ingrid Bergman Remembered Self (archive footage) 1996-04-06
Series Gulliver's Travels Sorcerer 1996-02-04
Movie Catherine the Great Razumovsky 1996-04-28
Movie Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt Narrator 1996-10-09
Movie The Rainbow Thief Dima 1994-01-19
Movie Lie Down with Lions Safar Khan 1994-06-12
Movie Laughter, Joy, Work and Love 1993-11-29
Series Parabéns Self 1992-09-19
Movie 588 rue Paradis Hagop 1992-01-14
Movie Heavenly Sin 1992-10-03
Movie Beyond Justice Emir Beni-Zair 1992-12-02
Movie Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris Marquis Hippolite 1992-12-27
Movie Desert Law Emir Beni-Zair 1991-03-19
Series Memories of Midnight Constantin Demiris 1991-11-25
Movie Citizen Masrey Mayor Abdel Razek El-Shershaby 1991-12-23
Movie Mother Hagop 1991-11-27
Movie Mountains of the Moon Arab Chief in Cairo (uncredited) 1990-02-16
Movie Journey of Love Rico 1990-12-07
Movie The Puppeteer Mohamed Gad Al-Karim 1989-12-18
Movie Les pyramides bleues Alex 1988-01-02
Movie Keys to Freedom Jonathan 1988-01-01
Movie The Possessed Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky 1988-02-24
Series Peter the Great Prince Feodor Romodanovsky 1986-02-02
Movie Harem Sultan Hassan 1986-02-09
Series Harem Sultan Hassan 1986-02-09
Series Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna Czar Nicholas II 1986-12-07
Movie David Lean: A Life in Film Self 1985-01-01
Movie Vicious Circle Garcin 1985-04-28
Series The Far Pavilions Koda Dad 1984-04-22
Movie Top Secret! Agent Cedric 1984-06-08
Movie Ayoub Ayoub/Abdul Hamid Al-Sukkari 1983-07-07
Movie La Martingale Alex Joski 1983-10-13
Series Wogan Unknown 1982-05-04
Movie Green Ice Meno Argenti 1981-05-01
Movie Inchon Indian Brigadier 1981-05-04
Movie S+H+E: Security Hazards Expert Baron Cesare Magnasco 1980-02-23
Movie The Baltimore Bullet The Deacon 1980-04-01
Movie Pleasure Palace Louie Lefevre 1980-10-22
Movie Oh Heavenly Dog Bart 1980-07-11
Movie Ashanti Prince Hassan 1979-02-21
Movie Bloodline Ivo Palazzi 1979-06-29
Movie Crime and Passion Andre Ferren 1976-02-06
Movie The Pink Panther Strikes Again Egyptian Assassin (uncredited) 1976-12-15
Movie Funny Lady Nick Arnstein 1975-03-15
Movie The Tamarind Seed Feodor Sverdlov 1974-07-11
Movie Juggernaut Captain Alex Brunel 1974-09-25
Series Mysterious Island Captain Nemo 1973-12-17
Movie The Mysterious Island Captain Nemo 1973-03-17
Movie The Right to Love Pierre 1972-08-15
Movie The Last Valley Vogel 1971-01-28
Movie The Burglars Abel Zacharia 1971-10-27
Movie The Horsemen Uraz 1971-08-16
Movie The Appointment Federico Fendi 1969-05-22
Movie Mackenna's Gold Colorado 1969-03-18
Movie Che! Che Guevara 1969-06-27
Movie Funny Girl Nick Arnstein 1968-09-19
Movie Mayerling Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria 1968-10-31
Movie The Night of the Generals Major Grau 1967-01-29
Movie More Than a Miracle Prince Rodrigo Fernandez 1967-10-19
Movie Poppies Are Also Flowers Dr. Rad 1966-05-20
Movie Genghis Khan Genghis Khan / Temujin 1965-04-15
Movie Marco the Magnificent Sheik Alla Hou 1965-08-06
Movie The Car That Became a Star Davich (archiveFootage) 1965-01-01
Movie Moscow in Madrid Self 1965-12-31
Movie The Mamluks Ahmed 1965-10-04
Movie Doctor Zhivago Dr. Yuri Zhivago 1965-12-22
Movie The Fall of the Roman Empire Sohamus 1964-03-24
Movie The Yellow Rolls-Royce Davich 1964-12-31
Movie Behold a Pale Horse Francisco 1964-08-14
Movie Lawrence of Arabia Sherif Ali 1962-12-11
Movie I Love My Master 1961-02-13
Movie A Man in Our House Ibrahim Mohammed 1961-04-17
Movie Lawaat Al-Hub 1960-10-01
Movie A Beginning and an Ending Hassanein 1960-10-31
Movie My Only Love Adel 1960-10-03
Movie Eshaet Hob Hussien 1960-11-21
Movie The River of Love Khalid 1960-11-12
Movie Rendezvous with a Stranger Magdi 1959-01-01
Movie For the Sake of a Woman Shokri 1959-01-01
Movie We the Students 1959-01-02
Movie Scandal in Zamalek 1959-01-23
Movie Goha Goha 1959-05-06
Movie Struggle on the Nile Muhassab 1959-10-18
Movie Beach of Secrets Mamduh Ezzat 1958-02-03
Movie Sayedat el kasr Adel 1958-11-17
Movie Ghaltet Habibi Salah 1958-04-14
Movie Land of Peace Ahmed 1957-01-02
Movie Sleepless Aziz 1957-10-31
Movie Dark Waters Ragab 1956-01-16
Movie The Lebanese Mission Mokrir 1956-09-12
Movie Our Best Days Ahmad 1955-03-07
Series This Is Your Life Unknown 1955-07-29
Movie The Devil of the Desert Essam 1954-12-27
Movie The Blazing Sun Ahmed 1954-03-01
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19