Omar Sharif, the star of "Doctor Zhivago", has died in Cairo aged 83, his London-based agent says. PHOTO: AFP
"He died this afternoon of a heart attack in Cairo," Steve Kenis told AFP, adding that the actor had been in a hospital for patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Born in a Syrian family and named Michel Demitri Chalhoub in Egypt in 1932, he was brought up as a Roman catholic and earned a college degree in mathematics and physics before he joined his family’s business.
Read: Hollywood film legend Omar Sharif suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Omar performed in Egyptian films in the 1950s and later married an Egyptian actor Faten Hamama.
1962's Lawrence of Arabia, which was his first English-language film, made him an international star earning him two Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar nomination.
Three years later, he won another Golden Globe for Doctor Zhivago.
He also played Fanny Brice's husband in "Funny Girl," starring Barbara Streisand.
Sharif appeared in 118 TV and movie roles over his decades-long career.
Omar and Faten had one son, Tarek Sharif. They got divorced in 1974.
Sharif was born in Egypt but spent many years living between France, Italy and the United States, before settling back in his native country.
The article originally appeared on Daily News
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