OMAR SHARIF, AWARD-winning star of Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has died at the age of 83.
He died in hospital in Egypt following a heart attack, news agency Associated Press confirmed.
Earlier this year the actor’s son, Tarek, revealed to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper that his father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s obvious he’ll never improve and it will get worse,” he said, speaking in May.
Award winning movie star
The Egypt-born actor won two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination for his role in the epic David Lean film based on the life of T.E. Lawrence in 1962.
He was rewarded with another Golden Globe for Doctor Zhivago three years later.
The most famous Egyptian actor of his generation – he later stepped away from the movie world, and became renowned as one of the world’s top bridge players.
He wrote a syndicated column on the card game for years, which appeared in a number of national newspapers.
Speaking on a visit to Dublin last year to launch the Arabic Film Festival, the actor spoke of his friendship with Irish director Jim Sheridan, and paid tribute to his Lawrence co-star Peter O’Toole.
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