Omar Sharif of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and ‘Doctor Zhivago’ dies at 83

Omar Sharif, an Egyptian actor best-known for his roles in “Doctor Zhivago” and “Lawrence of Arabia,” died at the age of 83, his agent confirmed Friday morning.

The actor had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease this year and died of a heart attack at a Cairo hospital.

Peter O’Toole, left, and Omar Sharif on the set of the film “Lawrence of Arabia.” Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

Sharif was born in 1932 to a Lebanese family in Alexandria. He studied at British Victoria College in Alexandria and earned a degree from the University of Cairo in physics and mathematics.

Sharif first appeared on camera in the 1953 Egyptian film “Sira` Fi al-Wadi,” later landing a number of roles in the Egyptian film scene. His first English-language role was in the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia,” in which he portrayed Sherif Ali. The role garnered him two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Sharif’s entrance in the film marks one of the film’s most well-known moments and an iconic image in American cinema:

Sharif spoke about developing a friendship with Peter O’Toole, whose portrayal of Lawrence in the film launched him into fame, in a 2012 interview with NPR:

We were complete brothers. We slept in the same tent. We ate the same food. … At night, we put our table outside the tent — the sky was wonderful at night, the stars were wonderful — we just sat there and talked and had some whiskey. We used to like having our whiskey at night. And we became very close friends.

In 1965, Sharif played the title character in “Doctor Zhivago.” He also starred opposite Barbara Streisand in “Funny Girl” (1968) and played opposite Julie Andrews in “The Tamarind Seed” (1974).