Sharif was born Michelle Chalhoub on 10 April 1932 in Alexandria to Syrian-Lebanese parents.
He died of a heart attack on 10 July 2015.
His lustrous career comprised over 110 films in Egypt and abroad. In addition to films with acclaimed director Youssef Chahine, he worked with other prominent Egyptian filmmakers such as Henry Barakat, Salah Abu Seif, and Kamal El-Sheikh.
Considered one of the heroes of the golden age of Egyptian cinema, many Egyptians and Arabs hail his movies as representing the apogee of classical cinema. These films include, among others, A Love Rumour (1959), Struggle on the Nile (1959), The River of Love (1960), and A Man in Our House (1961).
His international fame followed his role in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962), for which he received an Oscar nomination.
In 1965, Sharif won a Golden Globe Award for starring as the eponymous hero in David Lean's Dr Zhivago.
Furthermore, Sharif starred in several other international films, including, among others, Marco the Magnificent (1965), Genghis Khan (1965), Funny Girl (1968), Che! (1969), and Hidalgo (2004).
Following his passing AFP reported that besides being a movie star, Sharif was also "a world-class bridge player who wrote a newspaper column on bridge for many years."
It was reported, however, that he quit the game later in life.
"He had been a prodigious gambler, reportedly once winning a million dollars at an Italian casino," AFP added.
Omar Sharif was remembered at the Academy Awards in the In Memoriam tribute section in 2016.
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