Lawrence of Arabia star Omar Sharif dies at 83

(Image credit: David Cairns/Getty Images)

Oscar nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner Omar Sharif has died of a heart attack in Cairo, his agent said. The Egyptian-born Sharif, who had Alzheimer's disease, was perhaps most famous for his role as Ali in 1962's Lawrence of Arabia, and also played the title role in 1965's Doctor Zhivago. Ever flexible, Sharif performed as a Spaniard in Behold a Pale Horse, a Mongol in Genghis Khan, a Jewish gambler in Funny Girl, and a German in The Night of the Generals. In 2005, Sharif was awarded UNESCO's Sergei Eisenstein Medal "in recognition of his significant contributions to world film and cultural diversity," Variety writes.

Watch Sharif in his best role, opposite Peter O'Toole, below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.