Omar Sharif Jr.: My grandfather had no problem with my homosexuality

The grandson of Omar Sharif, Omar Sharif Jr, said in an interview that his homosexuality was never a problem with his grandfather.

"Before anything, in the eyes of my grandparents, I was their grandson," he said in an interview on Tuesday with Deutshe Welle Arabic. "It was a never a topic of conversation in our relationship and it never changed. We never spoke about it and to them, I was just Omar."

Sharif, who is an actor-director and an LGBT rights activist working alongside the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said in his interview on the 'Shabab Talk' with presenter Jaafar Abdul Karim that he hoped that people in the Arab world that realize even though he's gay, a major taboo in Egypt, he is still a person with a story.

"I'm a son, I'm a brother, I'm a coworker, I'm a friend. I am not a fact, or a figure or a statistic. I'm not a moral an ethical debate," he explained.

During the interview, Sharif was asked to respond to people who denounce him and hammer him with accusations of damaging and smearing his grandparents' image and reputation.

"I think the best thing I can do in life is to live openly, authentically and happily, and I am doing that. I know I am making them happy because that's all they would want me; they would want me to be happy," he said. "That's what grandparents should want for their grandchildren."

Sharif did not stop there. The Hollywood heartthrob gave advice to youngsters who struggling with their identity.

"If I had one advice to give, is to be open enough to be who you are. Do not pay much attention to the conversation happening around you. Pay attention to the conversation happening in your heart and in your head because that's the only thing you can control," he said.

With his first interview on Arabic TV, Sharif left the LGBT community and LGBT activists with hope for a better future. Watch the full interview:

Sharif is also promoting his film, "The Secret Scripture," in which he appears alongside his grandfather. The film is expected to be released at the end of 2015.