The charismatic Dr. Zhivago dies
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| 10 APRIL 1932- 10 JULY 2015 |
Omar Sharif, whose surname means "the noble man" in Egyptian Arabic, died on Friday in Cairo of a heart attack at 83. He was born on 10 April 1932, as Michel Demitri Chalhoub in Alexandria,Egypt, to a Malkite Greek Catholic family of
Syrian-Lebanese Levant descent.
His father, Joseph Chalhoub, was a wealthy merchant of exotic woods
who, in the early 20th century, settled in Egypt, where Sharif was born and
raised. His mother was a noted society hostess, and Egypt's King Farouk
was a regular visitor until he was deposed in 1952.
In his youth, Sharif studied at Victoria College, Alexandria, where he
showed a talent for languages. He later graduated from Cairo University with a
degree in mathematics and physics. He then worked for a while in his father's
precious wood business before studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art in London. In 1955, Sharif converted to Islam and married fellow Egyptian
actor Faten Hamama.
