Vale: Omar Sharif

Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif, best known for Lawrence of Arabia & Dr. Zhivago has died, aged 83.

He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, but died of a heart attack in a Cairo hospital.

The 1962 historical epic Lawrence of Arabia marked Sharif’s first English-speaking role.

His entrance, in which he slowly comes into view through a haze of heat while riding on the back of a camel, was described by Patrick Stewart as, “arguably one of the great entrances in the history of film.”

Sharif’s performance earned him two Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar nomination for supporting actor.

Lean also cast him in the title role of Doctor Zhivago, the sensitive Russian poet-doctor who finds himself torn between his wife and the love of his life against the backdrop of World War I and the Russian Revolution.

Sharif won another Golden Globe and reportedly received 3,000 proposals of marriage after the film debuted.

Other 90 films his other credits included Funny Girl, The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Night of the Generals, Mackenna’s Gold, The Horsemen, Genghis Khan, The Tamarind Seed, Che!, Funny Lady, The Appointment, The Last Valley, Hidalgo, Ashanti, Top Secret! and The Ten Commandments.

He also worked in television, notably miniseries and telemovies including The Far Pavilions, Pleasure Palace, Peter the Great, Harem, Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, Desert Law, Memories of Midnight, Catherine the Great, Gulliver’s Travels, Shaka Zulu: The Citadel and The Last Templar.

Of his films Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago and Funny Girl he told The Times in a 2003 interview.

“It’s true when people recognize me these days, those three films are the ones they talk about.

“But it doesn’t bother me. It’s better than having done none they remember. I find it endearing.”

Source: LA Times