News Digest

Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia star Omar Sharif dies aged 83

Doctor Zhivago star Omar Sharif has died after suffering a heart attack in hospital in Cairo, aged 83. The Egyptian-born actor had been in a hospital for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, his agent said. Sharif rose to international stardom with his role in the 1962 epic Lawrence Of Arabia - his first English-language film. He earned an Oscar nomination for his turn as Sherif Ali in David Lean’s iconic film opposite Peter O'Toole. James Cameron-Wilson, the executive editor of the Film Review Annual, said Sharif was “probably the most famous Egyptian since Tutankamun”.

What was extraordinary about him was those amazing liquid brown eyes. He was a massive screen idol and latin lover writ large.

James Cameron-Wilson, the executive editor of the Film Review Annual

Sharif followed the breakthrough performance with the title role in Lean’s Doctor Zhivago, co-starring Julie Christie. He then played Fanny Brice’s husband, Nicky Arnstein, in Funny Girl alongside Barbra Streisand. Sharif was also known as a highly-accomplished bridge player, co-writing a newspaper column on the card game for the Chicago Tribune. His last completed feature film credits were in 2013.

One of the reasons he was so succesful was that his knowledge of English was so good. If you compare him to somebody today like Antonio Banderas, it is very hard to understand what Antonio Banderas is talking about. He was a real screen legend.

James Cameron-Wilson