Omar Sharif, the legendary “Lawrence of Arabia” actor, is battling Alzheimer’s disease, his son revealed in an interview with a Spanish newspaper.
Sharif agent, Steve Kenis, confirmed the diagnosis to The Associated Press on Monday. Tarek Sharif revealed the news to El Mundo on May 23.
No additional details were provided about the 83-year-old or his care.
The Egyptian-born Sharif rose to international stardom with his role in the 1962 epic “Lawrence of Arabia” — Sharif’s 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.
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 Barbara Streisand.
His last completed feature film credits were in 2013.
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