Omar Sharif has died
The photo above is from the film, Lawrence of Arabia (YouTube)
Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif has passed away, according to a report from the Associated Press.
His agent, Steve Kenis, told the AP Sharif died from a heart attack in a Cairo hospital. The Oscar-winning actor was also suffering from Alzheimers.
Sharif rose to fame in his role as Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia, along side Peter O’Toole. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for that role. He went on to star in such hits as Dr. Zhivago, Funny Girl and many others, as well as television.
He was also a world-renowned bridge player, one of the foremost experts on the game. He and Tannah Hirsch co-authored a bridge column for the Chicago Tribune that was syndicated around the world. Early in his career as an actor Sharif declared bridge was his passion. He formed and traveled with the “Omar Sharif Bridge Circus” to promote the game.
Sharif was 83.
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