Omar Sharif dies at 83: Starred in Lawrence Of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago died of a heart attack in Cairo.
Omar Sharif dies at 83
Omar Sharif, the iconic star of classic movies Lawrence Of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago has died at the age of 83. His agent confirmed that the Egyptian actor die from a heart attack in Cairo earlier this afternoon (July 10th, 2015).
Sharif was born Michael Shalhoub in 1932, but changed his name after converting to Islam upon meeting the self proclaimed ‘love of his life’ Faten Hamama. He was perhaps most famous for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean‘s 1962 epic Lawrence Of Arabia, and in Doctor Zhivago opposite Julie Christie four years later. He found fame in the Arab world much earlier however, after appearing in Sira’a Fil Wadi opposite Hamama in 1954, who would go on to become his wife, and mother to his son.
Sharif went on to star in other western movies in the following decades, including Funny Girl opposite Barbra Streisand, and played the roles of Genghis Khan in 1964, Archduke Rodolf in Mayerling (1968), Che Guevara in Che! (1969) and a Russian agent in Blake Edwards’ The Tamarind Seed in 1974.
In more recent years the actor starred opposite Antonio Banderas in The 13th Warrior, and opposite Steve Coogan in The Parole Officer.
Hamama, who divorced Sharif in 1974, died earlier this year.
Sharif was confirmed to be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease back in May. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family at this time. Another legend passes, but will forever shine on in the movies and memories that he leaves behind.
