Sharif has worked as an actor, appearing in the 2000 Egyptian miniseries Wagh el qamar, the 2005-6 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.”

He was a presenter at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards in 2011, during which he performed a memorable comedic sketch with Kirk Douglas.

In 2012, Sharif came out as gay in The Advocate, a gay newsmagazine. 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.” 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.

As of 2012 he was living in Cairo, however shortly thereafter, uneasy about the “new Egypt,” he left the country. He now resides in Los Angeles.

From 2013 to 2015, he was the National Spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). In May 2015, he was hired to handle community affairs by New York developer Ian Reisner.

He was honored as one of the “Out 100” in 2012,” The Advocate’s “40 Under 40” in 2014 and 2015, and won Attitude Magazine’s ‘Inspiration Award’ in 2016..

He appeared in the 2017 short film 11th Hour, which was selected for screening at the TriBeCa Film Festival.