The entertainment world lost an icon Friday when news of Egyptian actor Omar Sharif's death surfaced. The legendary actor, who was propelled to international stardom in 1962 after making his Hollywood debut in "Lawrence of Arabia," suffered from a heart attack at a Cairo hospital. Sharif's agent Steve Kenis had admitted in May that the star was battling Alzheimer's disease.
We, therefore, want to honor his memory by remembering him as the prolific actor that he was, who had close to 90 movies to his name, and whose talent was unparalleled. The following five roles perhaps showcase the spectrum of Sharif's zest for acting, and why the world fell in love with him:
1. He was helplessly in love
In this loose Egyptian adaptation of " Anna Karenina," Sharif played the role of a young police officer, Khaled, who falls in love with Nawal (Faten Hamama), who had become miserable after marrying a wealthy Taher Pasha (Zaki Rostom).
2. He was a valiant warrior
In perhaps his most coveted role, for which Sharif was nominated for an Academy Award, he, as Sherif Ali, leads Bedouins and Arabs against the Turks with Peter O'Toole's Lawrence.
3. He was seductive
Sharif made girls faint (and Barbara Streisand hyperventilate) back in the day in his role as Nick Arnstein in this 1968 cult classic.
4. He was a poet
His role as Russian doctor/poet Yuri Zhivago won Sharif a Golden Globe.
5. He was a comic
More than anything, Omar Sharif proved that he could make fun of himself, as made clear in "Top Secret," a 1984 action comedy film.