Omar Sharif Jr.
Canadian actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Omar Sharif Jr. (born 28 November 1983) is a Canadian actor, model, author and gay activist who lives in the United States.
28 November 1983
- Actor
- Model
- Author
- Gay activist
Omar Sharif Jr. | |
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Sharif in 2014 | |
| Born | Omar Sharif Jr. 28 November 1983 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
| Relatives | Omar Sharif (grandfather) Faten Hamama (grandmother) |
Early life
Sharif is the son of a Jewish Canadian mother, Debbie, and an Egyptian father, Tarek Sharif. His paternal grandparents were Omar Sharif and Faten Hamama, both Egyptian actors; his maternal grandparents were Jewish Holocaust survivors. During his childhood, Sharif was shuttled back and forth among Montreal, Paris, and Cairo.[1] He has a B.A. from Queen's University, a Master's in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and a degree in Performing Arts from The Lee Strasberg Institute.[2]
Career
Sharif has worked as an actor, appearing in the 2000 Egyptian miniseries Wagh el qamar, the 2005-06 French-language Canadian series Virginie, the 2008 Egyptian film Hassan wa Morcus and the 2016 Irish film The Secret Scripture. When he became an actor, his grandfather said to him: "I gave you my name, I gave you my looks. I'm not going to give you anything else. You have to do it entirely on your own."[3]
He appeared in the 2017 short film 11th Hour, which was selected for screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.[4]
He has also worked as a model: He was "the face of Coca-Cola for the Arab world and appeared in a major Calvin Klein print campaign in Egypt."[5]
He was a presenter at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, during which he performed a memorable comedic sketch with Kirk Douglas.
Activism
In 2012, Sharif came out as gay in The Advocate, a gay news magazine. Noting that the recent parliamentary elections in Egypt had "dealt secularists a particularly devastating blow," he stated that the vision of "a freer, more equal Egypt — a vision that many young patriots gave their lives to see realized in Tahrir Square — has been hijacked."[1][6][7] He is said to be "the first public personality to ever come out as openly gay in the Arab World." His announcement led to widespread criticism and threats of violence.[1]
From 2013 to 2015, he was the National Spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).[citation needed]
In an August 2015 interview, Sharif said that his recently deceased grandfather, Omar Sharif, had been aware of his homosexuality and had never had a problem with it, though his mother did; she told him "Don't tell your grandmother, this would kill her." He responded, "She survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald but this would kill her?"[citation needed]
He also said he hoped to change Egyptian attitudes toward gay people. "I'm a son, I'm a brother, I'm a coworker, I'm a friend," he said. "I'm not a fact, or a figure, or a statistic. I'm not a moral or an ethical debate."[8]
Sharif gave a speech at the 2016 Oslo Freedom Forum discussing his coming out story during the Arab Spring and admitting to suicidal thoughts.[7][9]
After the Sultan of Brunei passed a law to stone homosexual people in April 2019,[10] Sharif Jr. challenged him a few days later, saying "If the Sultan would execute his own homosexual son, Sharif Jr. would execute himself as well".[11]
Personal life
As of 2012 he was living in Cairo, however shortly thereafter, uneasy about the "new Egypt," he left the country.[1] He now resides in Los Angeles.[citation needed]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Beauty and the Baker | George – Hollywood Agent | Keshet Studios | (20 episodes) |
| 2018 | Mélange | Zayn Hadid | pilot | (1 episode) |
| 2017 | The Naked Truth | Himself – Narrator | Fusion TV | "China Queer" (1 episode) |
| 2015 | Cocktails & Classics | Himself | Logo TV | "Funny Girl" (1 episode) |
| 2011 | Pânico na TV | Himself | RedeTV! | (1 episode) |
| 2011 | 83rd Academy Awards | Himself – Trophy Presenter | ABC | (special) |
| 2005-06 | Virginie | Oliver Brisebois | Télévision de Radio-Canada | (30 episodes) |
| 2000 | Wajh al-Qamar | Amun | multiple Arabic television channels | (16 episodes) |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Secret Scripture | Daniel O'Brien | [12] |
| 2026 | Corporate Retreat | Ken | |
| TBA | Snare | Jones | Filming |
Bibliography
- A Tale of Two Omars: A Memoir of Family, Revolution, and Coming Out During the Arab Spring (5 October 2021), ISBN 978-1-640-09498-7
Honors and awards
He was honored as one of the "Out 100" in 2012,"[5] The Advocate's "40 Under 40" in 2014 and 2015, and won Attitude Magazine's 'Inspiration Award' in 2016.[13]
