--- ---  # Hollywood Icon Omar Sharif Dies at 83 by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:55 AM UTCPublished: Jul 10, 2015 2:32 PM UTC  Egyptian actor Omar Sharif acting in 'Lawrence of Arabia'. 1962 Egyptian actor Omar Sharif acting in 'Lawrence of Arabia'. 1962Mondadori—Getty Images by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:55 AM UTCPublished: Jul 10, 2015 2:32 PM UTC Omar Sharif, the actor known for roles in Hollywood classics like _Doctor Zhivago_, has died at age 83. Egypt-born Sharif was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1963 for playing Sherif Ali in _Lawrence of Arabia_, work that also won him a Golden Globe. He earned another Globe playing Yuri opposite Julie Christie in _Doctor Zhivago_. And he was beloved as the suave Nicky Arnstein, who woos Barbra Streisand’s Fanny Brice, in _Funny Girl_ and _Funny Lady_. In [a 1963 story on _Lawrence of Arabia_](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,829790,00.html#paid-wall), TIME described Sharif as a promising newcomer, noting, “There is nothing quite so Arabian in Lawrence of Arabia as an actor named Omar Sharif, a flashing dark fellow with the white Formica smile of a desert chieftain, the scowling fury of a sandstorm, and the overall dash of half a dozen swordsmen trained by Abdul Abulbul Amir. Actors like that usually come from Pasadena, or some similar place, but this one is an exception. He is a citizen of the United Arab Republic, born in Alexandria, raised in Cairo.” Celebrities took to social media on Friday to mourn the actor’s passing. > [](https://twitter.com/Rosie/status/619517509260156928) > [](https://twitter.com/joshgad/status/619513590320640000) Sharif’s agent confirmed in a statement that the legendary actor died of a heart attack on Friday in Cairo. In May, his family had announced that Sharif was suffering from Alzheimer’s. He had most recently appeared in the 2013 film _Rock the Casbah_, and narrated a not-yet-released short film, _1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham_. ### Take A Look Back At Some of Omar Sharif's Most Memorable Roles  Omar Sharif stars as Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia, 1962. Columbia Pictures/Getty Images  Omar Sharif plays the titular role of Gengis Khan in Gengis Khan, 1965. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  Omar Sharif stars as Doctor Yuri Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago, 1965. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  Omar Sharif as Prince Rodrigo Fernandez on the set of the movie More Than a Miracle, 1967. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  Omar Sharif and Barbra Streisand star in the romantic comedy Funny Girl, 1968. Mondadori/Getty Images  Omar Sharif stars as Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling, 1968. Mondadori/Getty Images  Omar Sharif stars as Che Guevara in Che!, 1969. Mondadori/Getty Images  Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews starred together in the romantic drama The Tamarind Seed, 1974. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images  James Coburn, left, and Omar Sharif starred together in The Baltimore Bullet, 1980. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images  Omar Sharif, right, plays Melchisidek in The 13th Warrior, 1999. 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