Omar Sharif

Biography

Omar Sharif (April 10, 1932 - July 10, 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. The son of a precious wood merchant, he grew up in a united Christian family of Syrian and Lebanese descent with his parents and his sister. Enrolled at Victoria College, a prestigious British school in Alexandria, the teenager studied science and foreign languages and later discovered theater classes. A brilliant student, he continued his studies at Cairo University, where he obtained his diploma in mathematics and physics. He later converted to Islam to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.

In 1962, he took on the role of Prince Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia under the direction of David Lean. This film, the first outside Egypt for the actor, marked the beginning of a long friendship with Peter O'Toole and a turning point in Omar Sharif's career. He won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and decided to leave his native country for Hollywood.

CritifyHub Reviews Featuring Omar Sharif

"He was a hero. A legend. A lie." This multifaceted tagline hints at the complex and often contradictory nature of T.E. Lawrence and his impact in "Lawrence of Arabia."

on Lawrence of Arabia | May 31, 2025

David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia is a visually majestic and intellectually probing epic that chronicles the transformative journey of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole), a charismatic and enigmatic British ... Read more