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Born to a Jewish mother and Muslim father, Omar Sharif Jr. received his name from his legendary grandfather. With maternal grandparents who survived the Holocaust and paternal grandparents who were renowned actors, Omar was destined for a vibrant life. As a child, he frequently moved between his birth city of Montreal, Paris, and Cairo. By age 26, Omar earned a Master's Degree in Comparative Politics from The London School of Economics and a Performing Arts degree from The Lee Strasberg Institute.
While studying, Omar led the life of a carefree socialite, gaining significant attention through international ad campaigns and spokesperson roles for Calvin Klein and Coca-Cola, as well as through his high-profile relationships. In 2007, he was cast in a popular Egyptian TV series, sparking his interest in acting. He subsequently appeared in two Arabic-language films, most notably Hassan wa Morcus alongside his grandfather.
At the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, Omar was the sole male trophy presenter and delivered a memorable comedic sketch with screen legend Kirk Douglas.
In 2013, soon after the Muslim Brotherhood's parliamentary election in Egypt, Omar published an open letter in The Advocate, publicly coming out as gay and half-Jewish while questioning the new government's stance on human rights and diversity. He became the first public figure in the Arab World to come out as openly gay, facing immediate backlash, criticism, and threats.
From 2013 to 2015, Omar served as National Spokesperson for GLAAD, an organization dedicated to promoting LGBT equality by ensuring positive media representation of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. He currently acts as Ambassador for the Human Rights Foundation, traveling widely to advocate for freedom.
In 2015, six-time Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan cast Omar opposite Eric Bana and Rooney Mara in The Secret Scripture. The following year, they collaborated again on 11th Hour, featuring Salma Hayek, as an artistic response to global political divisions. The film was selected for the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
Omar is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
