Sharif was born Michael Shalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt in 1932, to Lebanese parents. He spent several years as a child in Zahle. Already a star in the Middle East from his many Egyptian films, Sharif was launched to international celebrity status after his role in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He starred opposite Julie Christie in the classic "Dr Zhivago" in 1965, a role that won him a Golden Globe award and remains one of his best-known films.