Omar Sharif Biography Series in Development

Scriptwriter and novelist Haitham Dabour acquired the rights to adapt the memoirs of the iconic international Egyptian actor Omar Sharif into a TV series.

The series highlights the acclaimed award-winning actor's rise to fame in Hollywood, his bridge career, and many other details that had not previously been covered by the Arab media.

[caption id="attachment_120681" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Omar Sharif[/caption]

The award-winning actor was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on April 10, 1932. Part Egyptian-Lebanese, he was able to attend English school, and eventually learned several languages, which installed his love for theater.

Michel Chalhoub, known now by Omar Sharif, studied math and physics at Victory College in Cairo, alongside working in his father’s business for a time before focusing on his passion.

Sharif was known for his roles in Egyptian movies “Eshaeit Hob”, “Sayedat el kasr”, “Siraa Fil-Mina”, “Fi baitina rajul”, and others.

The acclaimed award-winning actor is also known for starring in Hollywood movies such as “Lawrence of Arabia,”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Funny Girl”, and “Monsieur Ibrahim”.

At Victoria College, he met acclaimed film director Youssef Chahine, who is credited with presenting Sharif to the cinema by casting him as the male lead in “Sira’a Fil-Wadi” (Struggle in the Valley).

In 1954, Sharif made his debut in the movie and soon managed to prove his major acting skills, becoming one of the top stars.

[caption id="attachment_120676" align="aligncenter" width="1041"] Faten Hamama and Omar Sharif[/caption]

The award-winning actor wed the ‘Lady of the Arab Screen’ legendary actress, Faten Hamama in 1955 after converting to Islam and changing his name to marry her.

The pair established themselves as one of the Arab world’s romantic couples in the cinema and co-starred in many classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as “Bain el atlal”, “Nahr el hub”, “Ayyamine el helwa”, “Sayedat el kasr”, “ La anam”, and “Siraa Fil-Wadi”.

In 1957, they welcomed their first and only child, Tarek Sharif.

However, Sharif’s international fame came with a heavy price, as his international stardom grew.

Sharif asked Hamama to move abroad with him, however, she refused and preferred to stay in Egypt. In 1974, the pair porced, which Sharif attributes his frequent trips abroad and his Hollywood career as the reason.

In late May 2015, the award-winning actor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and on July 10, 2015, Sharif had a heart attack and died in a Cairo hospital. He was 83.