Omar Sharif was an Egyptian actor known for movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Funny Girl. The Academy Award-nominated actor had a prolific career spanning over six decades and 118 acting credits.
One of the most accomplished Egyptian acting imports to international cinema, Sharif would pass away in 2015 at age 83.
This article is dedicated to the legacy of Omar Sharif including his wealth and net worth at the time of his death.
What was Omar Sharif Worth at the Time of His Death?
At the time of his death, Omar Sharif was believed to be worth $2 million. He enjoyed an eminent acting career, not just in his home country of Egypt, but internationally.
His on-screen career began in the mid-’50s with roles in Egyptian movies like The Blazing Sun, Struggle in the Valley, and Devil of the Sahara.
-1592749586325.jpg)
Source: The Wire
He found mainstream success early on in his career when he starred as Sherif Ali in the 1962 historical epic, Lawrence of Arabia. The movie was nominated for ten Oscars and won seven, including Best Picture.
Sharif was himself nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. While he lost the running for an Oscar, Sharif won two Golden Globe Awards for his performance.
Following his breakthrough performance, Sharif became an international sensation and appeared in many blockbusters like The Fall of the Roman Empire, Behold a Pale Horse, and The Yellow Rolls-Royce.
His first lead role in a Hollywood feature film came with 1965’s Genghis Khan. He went on to star in 1965’s Doctor Zhivago and promptly won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
Sharif was an on-screen presence for the better part of six decades and starred in numerous movies and TV shows.
In the twilight of his career, Sharif received critical acclaim in movies like The Parole Officer and Monsieur Ibrahim.
By the time of his death, Omar Sharif was widely considered one of the most eminent and prolific actors of all time. He left behind a prodigious body of work and the cinema world is all the better for it.
Salary
Below are some documented salaries Omar Sharif made courtesy of his appearances in movies:
| Movie | Year | Salary |
| Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 | $9,800 (not adjusted for inflation) |
| Genghis Khan | 1965 | $25,000 (not adjusted for inflation) |
| Doctor Zhivago | 1965 | $9,800 (not adjusted for inflation) |
| Funny Girl | 1968 | $9,800 (not adjusted for inflation) |
| Mayerling | 1968 | $400,000 (adjusted for inflation) |
Omar Sharif: Age and Childhood
Omar Sharif was born Michel Dimitri Chalhoub on April 10, 1932, in Alexandria, Egypt.
He was born to Syrian immigrants to Egypt: Joseph Chalhoub, a precious woods merchant, and Claire Saada, a society hostess.
He studied at Victoria College, Alexandria, and later, Cairo University, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics and physics.
Michel worked at his father’s business for a time before pursuing an acting career.
Was Omar Sharif Married? Did He Have Children?
Omar Sharif was married only once in his life. From 1955 to 1974, Sharif was married to actress Faten Hamama.
They co-starred in the 1954 romantic-drama, Struggle in the Valley, and their reel-life romance translated to real life.
-1592749707378.jpg)
Source: Afro Tourism
Omar — who was still using his birth name and was a practicing Antiochian Greek Christian — legally changed his name to Omar Sharif and converted to Islam in order to get married to Hamama.
They married on February 5, 1955, and had a son together: Tarek Sharif, born in 1957. Tarek is an actor known for Doctor Zhivago, Avalanche, and This Is Your Life.
Tarek’s son and Omar’s grandson, Omar Sharif Jr., is an actor and LGBTQ activist.
Despite the lengths that Omar went through to get married to Hamama, their marriage didn’t last and by 1966, the couple had separated. Their divorce was finalized in 1974.
After getting divorced, Omar never remarried but was linked to the actress Barbra Streisand — which was as much a political scandal as a personal one.
Related: Rod Stewart-Net Worth
How did Omar Sharif Die?
Omar Sharif was a chain-smoker who was reportedly smoking up to a hundred cigarettes a day until his triple-bypass surgery in 1992 and a minor heart attack in 1994 caused him to quit smoking.
Sharif was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in May 2015. The following month, Omar Sharif suffered a heart attack and was declared dead on July 10, 2015, at a hospital in Cairo.
A funeral was held on July 12, 2015, at Grand Mosque of Mushir Tantawi in eastern Cairo, and his body was transported to the El-Sayeda Nafisa cemetery in southern Cairo, where he was laid to rest.
