Omar Sharif: Religion, Marriage, Gambling, Streisand

You probably know him as the elegant Arab prince in Lawrence of Arabia or the brooding Yuri Zhivago. But behind those iconic roles, Omar Sharif lived a life full of contradictions—a Catholic-born Egyptian who became a global heartthrob, a one-time husband who never remarried, and a high-stakes gambler who lost millions at the table. This article pieces together the facts about his religion, marriages, gambling, his relationship with Barbra Streisand, and the heart attack that ended his extraordinary journey.

Birth name: Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub ·
Born: 10 April 1932, Alexandria, Egypt ·
Died: 10 July 2015, Cairo, Egypt ·
Notable films: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Funny Girl ·
Academy Award nominations: 1 (Best Supporting Actor, 1963) ·
Religious background: Roman Catholic (born), later cultural Muslim identity

Seven key facts that frame Omar Sharif’s life—from birth name to his well-documented gambling habits—paint a portrait of a man who lived dramatically both on and off camera.

What religious background did Omar Sharif have?

Was Omar Sharif Muslim?

Omar Sharif was born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub into a Melkite Greek Catholic family in Alexandria on 10 April 1932 (Wikipedia). The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See. Multiple biographical sources confirm that he later converted to Islam and changed his name to Omar Sharif in order to marry the Egyptian actress Faten Hamama (Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egyptian film archive)). He publicly identified with Islam throughout his life, though he never made an official declaration of a full conversion. In a 2004 interview, Sharif said: “I believe in everything and nothing, I don’t disbelieve in anything” and argued that religion “should belong to the individual” (Wikipedia). This fluid view of faith stayed with him—he once said he was ready to convert to Judaism for Barbra Streisand, even though the account remains unconfirmed (The Forward (Jewish culture magazine)).

Omar Sharif’s birth faith and later public identity

Raised Catholic, Sharif never entirely shed his Christian roots. After his divorce, he did not revert to Catholicism, nor did he formally renounce Islam. In public, he often represented a cultural Muslim while maintaining a private, ecumenical spirituality. The question of whether he ever returned to Christianity remains a matter of speculation—no definitive source confirms a change in his later years.

How many times did Omar Sharif marry?

Who was Omar Sharif’s only wife?

Sharif married exactly once. His wife was the renowned Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. They wed in 1955 and remained married for nearly two decades (American Film Institute (authoritative film catalog)). The couple had one son, Tarek Sharif, born in 1957 (IMDb). They separated in 1966 and officially divorced in 1974 (Wikipedia).

Omar Sharif marriage duration

The marriage lasted from 1955 to 1974—19 years. After the divorce, Sharif never remarried. He was linked romantically to several women, including Barbra Streisand, but he never walked down the aisle again. The separation from Hamama, who was a major star in Egypt, deeply affected both his personal life and his relationship with the Egyptian public, especially after his move to international cinema.

• Married: 1955 to Faten Hamama
• Separated: 1966
• Divorced: 1974
• Children: 1 son (Tarek)
• Subsequent marriages: None

Bottom line: Omar Sharif was a one-woman man in terms of legal marriage, but his long separation from Hamama and his widely reported affair with Streisand show a life where personal attachments were complicated by cultural expectations and Hollywood distance.

How much did Omar Sharif lose in gambling?

Omar Sharif gambling addiction

Sharif was open about his love for gambling and contract bridge—he was described as one of the world’s best-known bridge players (IMDb). In a 2006 remark, he said he wanted to stop being “a slave to any passion any more except for my work” (IMDb). His gambling was not a casual hobby; it had a measurable impact on his finances and, according to some accounts, his career.

Financial losses from gambling

Estimates of his total losses run into the millions of dollars. One widely repeated story claims he lost $1 million in a single night during the 1970s (IMDb). The exact figure is impossible to verify because Sharif himself gave varying numbers in interviews. What is clear is that his habit forced him to take on roles he might otherwise have passed on, leading to a less selective filmography in his later decades.

What did Barbra Streisand say about Omar Sharif?

Barbra Streisand memoir revelations

In her memoir, Barbra Streisand wrote warmly about working with Sharif on the 1968 film Funny Girl, in which he played Nicky Arnstein opposite her Fanny Brice. She described him as “a wonderful actor and a true gentleman” (The Forward (Jewish culture magazine)). Their on-screen chemistry was widely praised, and the two developed a close off-screen bond.

Streisand on Sharif’s charm and skill

Beyond the compliments, Streisand never publicly criticized Sharif. However, the relationship became a source of personal and political friction. When their affair became known in Egypt, Sharif’s Egyptian citizenship was reportedly almost withdrawn because Streisand was Jewish and a vocal supporter of Israel during a time of war between Egypt and Israel (Wikipedia). A later, unconfirmed account claims Sharif was ready to convert to Judaism for her, but that Streisand refused to leave New York and he did not want to live there (The Forward).

Bottom line: Streisand’s public remarks about Sharif are consistently warm, but the private story reveals how geopolitical forces intruded on a Hollywood romance—a reminder that Sharif’s identity as an Egyptian Arab star came with constraints few Western actors faced.

What was the cause of Omar Sharif’s death?

Omar Sharif health decline

Sharif was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2012 (IMDb). The diagnosis was made public by his son Tarek, who later said his father’s condition had deteriorated significantly in the final years of his life. Sharif retired from acting as the disease progressed.

Alzheimer’s disease impact

He died on 10 July 2015 in Cairo, Egypt. The official cause of death was a heart attack (Wikipedia). He was 83 years old. His funeral was held at the grand Sayyidna Hussein Mosque in Cairo, attended by family, colleagues, and fans—a final tribute to a man who had been both a national idol and an international star.

Voices on Omar Sharif

“A wonderful actor and a true gentleman.”

Barbra Streisand, in her memoir on their Funny Girl collaboration

“He brought a rare charm and elegance to the screen, but his personal life was often troubled.”

BBC obituary

“One of the first and most prominent Arab actors to achieve stardom in Hollywood.”

American Film Institute (AFI Catalog Spotlight)

Omar Sharif’s story is not just a biography; it is a case study in how cultural identity, personal passion, and geopolitical realities can shape—and limit—a global career. For film lovers in the West, his roles remain timeless. For Egyptian audiences, he is a complicated national treasure. The implication is clear: Sharif lived at the intersection of worlds, and the choices he made (and those forced on him) left a legacy that is as rich in contradictions as it is in cinematic brilliance. For anyone studying the price of transnational stardom, Sharif’s life offers a lesson: you can cross borders, but you cannot escape them.