Omar Sharif, ‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ Star, Dies At 83

Legendary actor Omar Sharif, who starred in Dr. Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, has died of a heart attack at the age of 83.

RIP Omar Sharif

Sharif was born Michel Shalhoub in 1932 and will be remembered as one of the most successful Egyptian actors, who starred in huge Hollywood classics including Lawrence of Arabia and Funny Girl. He of a heart attack, though it was recently announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Sharif’s career spanned decades and continents. His credits date back to the ‘50s, and Sharif has starred in productions from Hollywood, France and Egypt. He made a career for himself in Egypt before making his American-speaking debut in Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Three years later, he won a Golden Globe for his performance in Dr. Zhivago.

No stranger to controversy, Sharif made headlines in 1967 when the Six Day War between Israel and Egypt (and other Arab countries) occurred as he was starring alongside Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl. Studio executives considered re-casting Sharif’s role, and when news broke that Streisand and Sharif shared an onscreen romance in the film, Egyptian press launched a campaign to strip Sharif of his citizenship.

Over the years, Sharif became more selective in his roles, and he disappeared a bit during the ‘80s. Sharif re-emerged in 2003 with a starring role in the French film Monsieur Ibraham. His performance earned him a Cesar, the French Oscar equivalent.

He is survived by one son and two grandsons, Omar Sharif Jr. and Karim. Omar Sharif Jr., who is an actor, thanked fans on Twitter for their prayers and support following Sharif’s passing, writing, “I join my family in thanking everyone for the global outpouring of prayers & Support we’ve been receiving. I will miss my grandfather dearly.”