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Omar Sharif, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ actor, dead at 83.
Omar Sharif, the legendary Egyptian actor who became an international Star in “Lawrence of Arabia,” has died at age 83.
The "Doctor Zhivago" Star suffered a heart attack in a Cairo hospital Friday, his agent Steve Kenis told the BBC.
His grandson, Omar Sharif Jr., reportedly *****ed the media to his death with a Facebook tribute, which has since been deleted.
Sharif suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, his son revealed in May.
Sharif was born to Syrian and Lebanese parents in Egypt in 1932, according to IMDB. Named Michel Demitri Chalhoub, he grew up Roman Catholic and earned a college degree in mathematics and physics before entering his family’s lumber business.
He starred in numerous Egyptian films in the 1950s and starred alongside the Egyptian actress Faten Hamama in "The Blazing Sun" in 1953. He converted to Islam to marry Hamama two years later.
The couple had one son, Tarek Sharif, and divorced in 1974.
Sharif appeared in 118 TV and movie roles over his decades-long career.
"Lawrence of Arabia," his first English-******** film, made him an international Star in 1962, earning him an Oscar nod for his role as Sherif Ali opposite Peter O’Toole.
He won a Golden Globe for his role in "Doctor Zhivago" in 1965.
Three years later, Sharif played Fanny Brice’s husband in "Funny Girl," starring Barbara Streisand.
His last acting credit is as the narrator of the short film "1,001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham," which is in post-production. Before that, he appeared in the French film "Rock the Casbah" in 2024.
Shairf also became well-known as a bridge player, writing a syndicated column on the subject for the Chicago Tribune in the 1970s and penning two books in the 1980s.
Source: NYDailyNews
