Omar Sharif (Photo : Twitter)
Antonio Banderas' "The 13th Warrior" co-star Omar Sharif, an actor who rose to international stardom after his roles in “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Doctor Zhivago,” died on July 10, Friday, at a hospital in Cairo.
The Egyptian-born actor has suffered a heart attack in the hospital, where he was resting since he has been diagnosed from Alzheimer’s disease, his agent, Steve Kenis, told CBS News.
“It’s difficult to determine what stage. It’s obvious he won’t improve and will get worse,” his son, Tarek Sharif said in an interview.
According to Tarek El-Sharif, the Hollywood star was struggling to remember his successful career, and was often forgetting where and how his even best known films were filmed. It was also stated that the star was confusing fans who got autographs from him, to people he knew before.
Born Michael Shalhoub, with Lebanese and Syrian roots, the box office star of Egypt, made his debut in a small role in “Sira Fi al-Wadi.” His first role in a English movie was as Sherif Ali in “Lawrence of Arabia,” in which he was casted opposite Peter O’Toole in 1962. The role garnered him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe award. His role as Yuri opposite Julie Christie in “Doctor Zhivago” got him another Golden Globe.
The actor, fluent in English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Greek and French, has earned a reputation as one of the world’s best known contract bridge players, even while working in TV movies. His last appearance was in the 2013 film “Rock the Casbah,” and has narrated a short film, “1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham,” which is in the post-production stage. His Hollywood career spanned more than 60 years and included over 118 TV and movie roles.
Word of Sharif’s death drew proud recollections of his entire career, with celebrities taking it to social media, including Banderas and Sharif’s “Funny Girl” co-star Barbra Streisand.
“My great friend Omar Sharif has passed away. I will always miss him. He was one of the best. He was a great storyteller, a loyal friend and a wise spirit,” Banderas tweeted.
“I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Omar, and I’m profoundly sad to hear of his passing,” Streisand said of Sharif in a statement released to The Huffington Post.
“Independence Day” and “Godzilla” director Roland Emmerich tweeted, “Very saddened by the passing of Omar Sharif. Blessed that I was able to work with such a legend. Love to the family.”
