Omar Sharif was born on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt. He is an Academy Award-nominated Egyptian actor who has starred in many Hollywood films. He has acted in Arabic, French, and English feature films.

He worked briefly in his father's lumber business before pursuing an acting career. Entering movies in 1953 as Omar El-Sharif, the young actor's popularity zoomed when he married popular Egyptian star Faten Hamama (the marriage ended in 1974). Well established in his native country, Sharif made his English-language film debut (with one of the longest and most impressive "delayed entrances" ever filmed) as Sherif Ali Ibn El Karish in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

Sharif's next film for Lean, Doctor Zhivago (1965), launched the "superstar" phase of the actor's career. When he was cast as Nicky Arnstein opposite Barbra Streisand's Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1968), Sharif's films were banned in his native Egypt because he made love to a Jewish woman onscreen. As Sharif's starring career began its slow downward slide in the mid-'70s, he began devoting more and more time to his one great passion in life: bridge. Today Sharif is best known in card-playing circles as that famous bridge expert who happens to show up in movies from time to time.

Raised a Catholic he converted to Islam to marry renowned Egyptian actress Faten Hamama in 1955 and took the name Omar al-Sharif. He also has romantically linked with Barbra Streisand.

Credits by Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmography

• 10,000 B.C. (2008)
• One Night with the King (2006)
• Kronprinz Rudolf (2006)
• The Ten Commandments (2006)
• Fuoco su di me (2006)
• San Pietro (2005)
• The Search for Eternal Egypt (2005)
• Benji: Off the Leash! (2004)
• Hidalgo (2004)
• "Petits mythes urbains" (4 episodes, 2003)
• Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran (2003)
• Shaka Zulu: The Citadel (2001)
• The Parole Officer (2001)
• Censor (2001)
• The 13th Warrior (1999)
• Heaven Before I Die (1997)
• Gulliver's Travels (1996)
• Catherine the Great (1995)
• Lie Down with Lions (1994)
• "Encantada de la vida" (1 episode, 1993)
• "Querida Concha" (1 episode, 1993)
• Dehk, we leab we gad we hob (1993)
• "Mayrig" (1993)
• Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1992)
• Tengoku no Taizai (1992)
• 588 rue paradis (1992)
• Beyond Justice (1992)
• Memories of Midnight (1991)
• Mayrig (1991)
• Moaten Masry, al- (1991)
• Viaggio d'amore (1990)
• Mountains of the Moon (1990)
• Roi de Patagonie, Le (1990)
• The Rainbow Thief (1990)
• Aragoz, al- (1989)
• "Principe del deserto, Il" (1989)
• Quattro piccole donne (1989)
• Pyramides bleues, Les (1988)
• Possédés, Les (1988)
• Keys to Freedom (1988)
• Grand Larceny (1987)
• Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986)
• "The Mind of David Berglas" (1 episode, 1986)
• Harem (1986)
• "Peter the Great" (1986)
• Vicious Circle (1985)
• Top Secret! (1984)
• "The Far Pavilions" (1984)
• Martingale, La (1983)
• Ayoub (1983)
• Green Ice (1981)
• Inchon (1981)
• Pleasure Palace (1980)
• Oh Heavenly Dog (1980)
• The Baltimore Bullet (1980)
• S+H+E: Security Hazards Expert (1980)
• Bloodline (1979)
• Ashanti (1979)
• Mysteries of the Great Pyramids (1977)
• The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
• Ace Up My Sleeve (1976)
• Funny Lady (1975)
• Juggernaut (1974)
• The Tamarind Seed (1974)
• "Île mystérieuse, L'" (1973)
• Isla misteriosa y el capitán Nemo, La (1973)
• Droit d'aimer, Le (1972)
• Casse, Le (1971)
• The Horsemen (1971)
• The Last Valley (1970)
• Trois hommes sur un cheval (1969)
• "Bracken's World" (1 episode, 1969)
• The Appointment (1969)
• Che! (1969)
• Mackenna's Gold (1969)
• Mayerling (1968)
• Funny Girl (1968)
• C'era una volta... (1967)
• The Night of the Generals (1967)
• Poppies Are Also Flowers (1966)
• Doctor Zhivago (1965)
• Fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo, La (1965)
• Genghis Khan (1965)
• Mamalik, El (1965)
• The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
• Behold a Pale Horse (1964)
• The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
• Ishayat hub (1961)
• Nahr el hub (1961)
• Fi baitina rajul (1961)
• Gharam el assiad (1961)
• Hubbi el wahid (1961)
• Bidaya wa nihaya (1960)
• Lawet el hub (1960)
• Seraa fil Nil (1959)
• Min ajal emraa (1959)
• Maweed maa maghoul (1959)
• Fadiha fil Zamalek (1959)
• Sayedat el kasr (1959)
• Goha (1958)
• Shatie el asrar (1958)
• La anam (1958)
• Ghaltet habibi (1958)
• Ard el salam (1957)
• Châtelaine du Liban, La (1956)
• Siraa Fil-Mina (1956)
• Ayyamine el helwa (1955)
• Shaytan al-Sahra (1954)
• Siraa Fil-Wadi (1954)

Awards

• Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) "Doctor Zhivago" 1965
• Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor "Lawrence of Arabia" 1962
• Golden Globe Award Most Promising Newcomer-Male 1962