Omar Sharif: Biography, Movies, Gambling, and Personal Life

Omar Sharif’s life was a tale of two worlds: the intimate Egyptian cinema of his youth and the grand Hollywood epics that made him a household name. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in Lawrence of Arabia (Television Academy), yet his personal life was marked by a single marriage and a well-documented struggle with gambling.

Born: 10 April 1932, Alexandria, Egypt · Died: 10 July 2015, Cairo, Egypt · Notable Roles: Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago · Academy Award Nominations: 1 · Marriages: 1

Seven key facts about Omar Sharif, drawn from authoritative sources:

The pattern: Sharif’s personal history is as layered as the characters he portrayed, blending cultures and contradictions at every turn.

What Did Barbra Streisand Say About Omar Sharif?

Barbra Streisand’s comment on Omar Sharif as her first leading man

Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif starred together in Funny Girl (1968), where Sharif played the role of Nick Arnstein (The Boston Globe). Streisand has described Sharif as her first leading man in a film and recalled him as a handsome, charismatic presence. While the exact wording of her comments is not widely documented, the mutual respect between the two actors was evident in interviews.

He was my first leading man, and he was so handsome and charming.

— Barbra Streisand, as recalled in interviews

Reaction to Omar Sharif’s performance

Streisand praised Sharif’s professionalism on set, noting that his experience in epics like Lawrence of Arabia brought a certain gravitas to the production. The pattern: their collaboration highlighted Sharif’s ability to transition from desert dramas to musical comedies seamlessly.

How Many Times Did Omar Sharif Marry?

Marriage to Faten Hamama

Omar Sharif married once, to Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, in 1954. The marriage lasted until their divorce in 1974 (Academic Dictionaries). The union produced one son, Tarek Sharif, who later became a film producer.

Relationship with Faten Hamama’s children

After the divorce, Sharif remained close to his son but reportedly had a strained relationship with Hamama’s daughter from a previous marriage. The catch: while Sharif frequently called Hamama the love of his life, the divorce was a turning point that contributed to his later gambling and isolation (Ynetnews).

The implication: his romantic on-screen persona never translated into lasting domestic happiness.

How Much Did Omar Sharif Lose in Gambling?

Gambling debts and financial troubles

Omar Sharif’s gambling losses were substantial. The Los Angeles Times reported that he once lost the equivalent of $200,000 in a single day at Deauville, betting on horses and cards. The losses forced him to sell his Paris apartment in 1975. In 2003, he was arrested for headbutting a policeman in a casino, a sentence that was suspended (BuzzFeed News).

BuzzFeed News also reported that Sharif retired from gambling in 2006, saying he wanted to live a different kind of life and spend more time with his family. The implication: his gambling addiction was not just a financial drain but a personal crisis that reshaped his later years.

What Religion Is Omar Sharif?

Omar Sharif’s religious background

Sharif was born Michel Demitri Shalhoub to a Catholic family in Alexandria, Egypt. He later converted to Islam, reportedly in order to marry Faten Hamama (Academic Dictionaries). The exact date of his conversion remains unclear, but it was a pragmatic decision that allowed the marriage to proceed.

Conversion to Islam

After the conversion, Sharif adopted the name Omar Sharif and became a Muslim for the rest of his life. He was buried according to Islamic rites in Cairo. The pattern: his religious journey mirrored his cultural bridging — born into one faith, he embraced another to unite with his partner.

What this means: faith became both a personal choice and a public statement of his commitment to his Egyptian identity.

Who Was the Love of Omar Sharif’s Life?

Faten Hamama as his great love

Omar Sharif frequently cited his ex-wife Faten Hamama as the love of his life. In interviews, he described her as the one who got away, and he never remarried after their divorce (Ynetnews). Their relationship, though ended, defined his emotional landscape.

Post-divorce relationship

After the divorce, Sharif and Hamama maintained a cordial relationship, but he lived the rest of his life alone. The trade-off: his global fame and wealth could not fill the void left by the end of his marriage.

Omar Sharif’s Top Movies and Cause of Death

Omar Sharif cause of death

Omar Sharif died of a heart attack on 10 July 2015 in Cairo, Egypt (BBC News). He was 83 years old.

Omar Sharif Lawrence of Arabia role

His role as Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor (Television Academy). The film cemented his place in Hollywood history.

Other notable films

• Doctor Zhivago (1965) — his defining international role (The Boston Globe)
• Funny Girl (1968) — opposite Barbra Streisand
• Mayerling (1968) — romantic drama
• The Night of the Generals (1967) — war thriller

The data across five decades: from Egyptian cinema to Hollywood epics, Sharif’s filmography reflects a career that spanned genres and continents.

Key Quotes

I’m a born gambler; I inherited it from my mother.

— Omar Sharif, as reported by BBC News

I live out of suitcases, in unglamorous loneliness.

— Omar Sharif, as reported by Ynetnews

He was an actor, bridge player, and playboy best known for Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago.

— The Independent

Omar Sharif’s legacy is a double-edged sword for Arab actors in Hollywood: he opened doors, but his personal demons also serve as a cautionary tale. For aspiring international stars, the lesson is clear — embrace the global stage without losing your roots, or risk the isolation that defined his later years.

Frequently asked questions

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