By John Hall and Imogen Calderwood for Mailonline UK

Doctor Zhivago star Omar Sharif dies aged 83 after suffering heart attack in Cairo

Hollywood star died of a heart attack at a hospital in his native Cairo

He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for some time

In May his son Tarek revealed that his father was struggling to remember anything about his hugely successful career

Known for his charismatic good looks Sharif found fame starring in the classic movies Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia

Doctor Zhivago star Omar Sharif has died aged 83, his agent confirmed today.

The Hollywood star is understood to have died of a heart attack at a hospital in Cairo, where he was resting after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

In May it emerged that the Egyptian-born actor had been suffering with the illness and was struggling to remember anything about his hugely successful career.

In a frank interview with Spanish media, Tarek El-Sharif, the only child of the star’s marriage to ex-wife Faten Hamama, revealed that his father had started mixing up the names of his best-known films – Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia – and often forgot where they were filmed.

Tragic: Doctor Zhivago star Omar Sharif is understood to have died of a heart attack at a hospital in his native Cairo where he was resting after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lawrence of Arabia starring Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole

Known for his charismatic good looks and bridge-playing prowess, Sharif had been resting at his home in Egypt, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

Tributes have been pouring in from across Hollywood, from stars including Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, German director Roland Emmerich, American actor Josh Gad and Game of Thrones star Eugene Simon.

‘My great friend Omar Sharif has passed away. I will always miss him,’ wrote Antonio Banderas, who starred alongside Sharif in the 1999 film The 13th Warrior, on Twitter.

‘He was one of the best.’

He added: ‘He was a great storyteller, a loyal friend and a wise spirit.’

added: ‘Very saddened by the passing of Omar Sharif.

‘Blessed that I was able to work with such a legend. Love to the family.’

Broadway actor Josh Gad, best known for voicing OIaf the snowman from Disney’s Frozen, tweeted: ‘Sad to hear about Omar Sharif. I grew up on Lawrence and Zhivago.

IMAGES:

Tragic: Doctor Zhivago star Omar Sharif is understood to have died of a heart attack at a hospital in his native Cairo where he was resting after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

On-screen success: Born in 1932 the son of a lumber merchant in Egypt’s second city Alexandria, Sharif (far right) was nominated for an Academy Award in 1963 for his role as Sherif Ali in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’

Hospital: Security guards stand outside the Behman Hospital in Cairo, where Omar Sharif died today of a heart attack. He was resting at the hospital after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

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