Famed Egyptian actor actor Omar Sharif has died at 83, having suffered a heart attack in a hospital in Cairo. It was reported in May of this year that Sharif was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and that he would often confuse the names of some of his films and mistake fans for friends. He is survived by Tarek El-Sharif, his only son from his ex-wife Faten Hamama (who passed earlier this year in January).
Born Michel Demitri Chalhoub, he was undoubtedly the most famous actor of his Arab brethren. His first English-language film, David Lean‘s LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, brought him an Academy Award nomination and paved the way for him to star in such classics as DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and FUNNY GIRL, making him a global star. He also went on to act in MACKENNA’S GOLD alongside Gregory Peck, JUGGERNAUT with Richard Harris, THE TAMARIND SEED opposite Julie Andrews, and lest you forget, the parody TOP SECRET! with Val Kilmer!
When talking about his Hollywood fame, Sharif stated that, “It gave me glory, but it gave me loneliness also. And a lot of missing my own land, my own people and my own country.” He may have found intimacy in other people and his home to be fleeting, but he’ll always be remembered and respected thanks to his contributions in classic cinema.
Easily one of the greatest entrances of all time.