Question 1

True or false: Sharif converted to Christianity after marrying his wife, an Egyptian socialite.

Accepted Answer

False. Sharif, born Catholic, converted to Islam in 1955 to marry actress Faten Hamama, not Christianity. Thus, the statement is false.

Question 2

True or false: Omar Sharif was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Doctor Zhivago.

Accepted Answer

False. Sharif was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Lawrence of Arabia, not Doctor Zhivago. That film earned him a Golden Globe, not an Oscar nod.

Question 3

True or false: Sharif's first language was French, not Arabic.

Accepted Answer

True. Born in Egypt to a Lebanese family, he was raised speaking French at home and learned Arabic later in school.

Question 4

True or false: Omar Sharif was a mathematician before he became an actor.

Accepted Answer

False. He studied mathematics at Cairo University but left to pursue acting. He never worked as a mathematician.

Question 5

True or false: Omar Sharif was a world-class bridge player who competed in international tournaments.

Accepted Answer

True. Beyond acting, Sharif was a highly ranked contract bridge player who even wrote a syndicated column on the game.

Question 6

True or false: Omar Sharif was banned from Egypt for decades due to his friendship with Israeli leaders.

Accepted Answer

True. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Egypt banned Sharif because of his public friendships with Israeli leaders like Golda Meir. He remained in exile until the mid-1970s.

Question 7

True or false: Omar Sharif turned down the role of James Bond because Omar Sharif thought the scripts were too violent.

Accepted Answer

True. Sharif was offered the role of 007 in the late 1960s but declined, reportedly finding the character's casual violence distasteful.

Question 8

True or false: Omar Sharif had never ridden a camel before learning to do so for his role in Lawrence of Arabia.

Accepted Answer

True. Before his iconic role, Sharif had no camel riding experience. He trained specifically for the film, mastering the skill to perform in the desert scenes alongside Peter O'Toole.

Omar Sharif Trivia Questions