Omar Sharif: Lawrence of Arabia star dies aged 83

Actor Omar Sharif, best known for his roles in classic films Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has died aged 83.
Egypt-born Sharif won two Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.  He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor Zhivago.

Earlier this year, his agent confirmed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.  His agent Steve Kenis said: "He suffered a heart attack this afternoon in a hospital in Cairo."

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, who appeared with Sharif in 1999 film The 13th Warrior, remembered him on Twitter as "one of the best".  "He was a great storyteller, a loyal friend and a wise spirit."

Born Michel Shalhoub in Alexandria in April 1932, Sharif started out in his family's lumber business before going to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada).

He made his screen debut in the 1954 Egyptian film Siraa Fil-Wadi (The Blazing Sun) and rapidly became a star in his own country.

His big break came when David Lean cast him in Lawrence of Arabia, introducing the actor with a now-legendary shot of him riding a camel out of a shimmering heat haze towards the camera.

The actor went through a daily routine of hair-straightening and skin-waxing in order to disguise his Egyptian looks and would later admit the film had left him close to a nervous breakdown.

Other notable roles came opposite Barbra Streisand in her first film Funny Girl and as Julie Andrews' lover in spy thriller The Tamarind Seed.

He also got to play a series of real-life figures, among them Genghis Khan and the Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara.  After his initial stint in the spotlight, Sharif would come to be seen more frequently at the gaming tables than the Hollywood soundstage.

He became particularly successful at bridge and was ranked among the world's best players.

Sharif spent much of his later years in Cairo and at the Royal Moncean Hotel in Paris, though he occasionally travelled to Hull to support his favourite football team, Hull City.

Earlier this year his agent confirmed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after his son Tarek gave an interview in which he discussed his father's deteriorating condition.

"He still knows he's a famous actor," Tarek El-Sharif told Spain's El Mundo newspaper. "He remembers, for example, [he was in] Doctor Zhivago but he's forgotten when it was filmed."

Following the announcement of Sharif's death, his grandson Omar Sharif Jr posted a picture of him on Facebook with the simple caption: "I love you."

He later offered thanks "for the global outpouring of prayers and support" his family had received, adding: "I will miss my grandfather dearly." - Read More at Omar Sharif:, BBC
Omar Sharif: Lawrence of Arabia star dies aged 83

Omar Sharif dead: Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago star dies aged 83 -  More