Hollywood Icon Omar Sharif Dies at 83

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Updated: | Originally published: ;

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, 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.

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

celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif stars as Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.Columbia Pictures/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif plays the titular role of Gengis Khan in Gengis Khan, 1965.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif stars as Doctor Yuri Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago, 1965.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif as Prince Rodrigo Fernandez on the set of the movie More Than a Miracle, 1967. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif and Barbra Streisand star in the romantic comedy Funny Girl, 1968.Mondadori/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif stars as Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling, 1968.Mondadori/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif stars as Che Guevara in Che!, 1969.Mondadori/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews starred together in the romantic drama The Tamarind Seed, 1974.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
James Coburn, left, and Omar Sharif starred together in The Baltimore Bullet, 1980.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
celebrities, omar sharif, lawrence of arabia, doctor zhivago, funny girl
Omar Sharif, right, plays Melchisidek in The 13th Warrior, 1999.Buena Vista

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