Iconic Egyptian actor Omar Sharif dies at 83

Omar Sharif, an icon of Egyptian cinema, Oscar nominee for his role in Lawrence of Arabia and Golden Globe winner for Dr. Zhivago, died on Friday in Cairo of a heart attack.

Friends, fans and colleagues quickly took to the internet to express their condolences and mourn their loss.

"Omar was my first leading man in the movies. He was handsome, sophisticated and charming. He was a proud Egyptian and in some people's eyes, the idea of casting him in Funny Girl was considered controversial," Barbara Streisand wrote on her Facebook page. "Yet somehow, under the direction of William Wyler, the romantic chemistry between Nicky Arnstein and Fanny Brice transcended stereotypes and prejudice. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Omar, and I'm profoundly sad to hear of his passing."

Antonio Bandares, Sherif's co-star in The 13th Warrior, wrote on Facebook, "My great friend Omar Sharif has passed away. I will always miss him. He was one of the best. Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Funny Girl ... Just these three movies are worth an entire career."

Born in Alexandria in 1932 as Michel Chalhoub, Sharif joined the Royal Academy of Arts in London, after studying Maths and Physics in Cairo University and working in his father's business for some time.

His first appearance on the silver screen was in Youssef Chahine's 1954 production Seraa Fel Wadi (Struggle in the Valley) alongside Faten Hamama, to whom he was married from that year until 1974.

Between 1954 and 1962, Sharif made a name for himself in Egyptian cinema as a leading actor, starring in memorable films including Ayamna El-Helwa (Our Best Days, 1955), Youssef Chahine's Seraa Fel-Mina (Struggle in the Port, 1956), Salah Abu Seif's La Anam (I Don't Sleep, 1957), Kamal El-Cheikh's Sayidat El-Qasr (Lady of the Palace, 1958), Salah Abu Seif's Bedaya wa Nehaya (Beginning and End, 1960) and Henri Barakat's Fi Baytona Ragol (A Man in Our House, 1962).

While all these films represent significant cornerstones of Egyptian cinema, Sharif did not achieve international fame until 1962 when he was offered a leading role in Davin Lean's Laurence of Arabia alongside Peter O'Toole. The film was a success, winning seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, with O'Toole and Sharif nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

Sharif went on that year to win the Golden Globe award for both Best Supporting Actor and Most Promising Newcomer.

After a promising start, the actor appeared in several Hollywood productions, such as Genghis Khan (1965), and in the leading role of Dr. Zhivago, for which he won another Golden Globe, this time in a leading role. Other memorable Hollywood roles included Funny Girl (1968) and his role as Cuban leader Che Guevara in the 1969 production Che.

In the 1980s and 1990s his career slowed down, and he focused on smaller roles, mostly in Egyptian cinema. In 1989, he had a memorable role in Hany Lashin's Al-Aragoz (The Puppet) and a brief return to Hollywood in 1999 in The 13^th Warrior.

His most recent film was screened in Cairo at Zawya Cinema, Rock the Casbah. In the Moroccan-French production, directed by Leila Marrakchi, Sharif played the deceased patriarch Moulay Al-Hassan, who leaves behind a family of women, sorting out their troubles during his funeral.

In May of this year, his son Tarek announced that Sharif was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.