Sharif began acting in 8th grade in the heavy hitting role of the French Pastry Chef in the “King’s Creampuffs” He began preparing for acting at a much younger age, though, by watching TV. He was especially inspired to entertain by Sesame Street, Mel Blanc and Looney Tunes and the lady who read stories at the library. After continuing with drama in high school and a year in college, in 1996, Sharif competed at an international convention and won top honors as Male Talent of the Year. He then signed with Mitchell Talent Management in San Francisco, CA.
After booking national commercials, roles on Nash Bridges and America’s Most Wanted, and commercial and print ads with MTM, he now lives in Los Angeles where he works as a writer/producer, and from where he travels the country coaching 2-day acting workshops, training actors to put forth their best efforts during their opportunity of a lifetime. He’s appeared on Days of our Lives several short films and commercials, including 2007’s Academy Award Winner for Best Live Action Short, West Bank Story.
Sharif is also the author of five volumes of comedy monologue books titled, “Are You Laughing At Me?” As a comedy writer, he has performed stand-up comedy in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. He is currently in pre-production of two film projects. Shareef also earned a B.A. in Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in Holistic Health from San Francisco State University.