Omar Sharif was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Melkite Catholic family of Lebanese descent. His father, Joseph Chalhoub, was a precious-wood merchant originally from Zahle, Lebanon, who settled in Egypt in the early 20th century. His mother, Claire Saada, was of Syrian and Lebanese heritage. In his youth, Sharif studied at Victoria College, where he became active in sports and developed interest in theater and acting. His classmates included Youssef Chahine and Edward Said. In 1955, Sharif converted to Islam to marry Egyptian actress Faten Hamama.
After obtaining a degree in mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, he worked for five years in the business of precious wood of his father, before studying acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London
In 1953, Sharif began his acting career with a role in Sira` Fi al-Wadi. He quickly rose to stardom, appearing in over 20 Egyptian productions, including Ayyamna el helwa with singer Abdel Halim Hafez, La anam in 1958, Sayedat el kasr in 1959 and the Anna Karenina adaptation Nahr el hub in 1961. He also starred with his wife, Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, in several movies as romantic leads.
Sharif once ranked among the world's best-known contract bridge players, forming the "Omar Sharif Bridge Circus" in 1967 which toured the world, competing against such powerhouse teams as Blue Team and Dallas Aces, at a time when barnstorming bridge teams were very popular
In 1954 acclaimed actress Faten Hamama accepted young Sharif as her co-star in the film Struggle in the Valley and shockingly accepted a scene involving a kiss with him, a first in her career. The two fell in love, and Sharif converted to Islam and married her. The couple had one son, Tarek El-Sharif, born 1957 in Egypt, who appeared in Doctor Zhivago as Yuri at the age of eight. They separated in 1966 and the marriage ended in 1974. Sharif never remarried; he stated that since his divorce, he never fell in love with another woman, although he lived abroad for years. Hamama died in 2015.