Looking from the outside in, it would seem Omar Sharif had a life many of us dream of, romances with beautiful women, endless wealth and one of the industry’s most impressive careers.
However, not all was as it seemed for the Egyptian actor who lost millions to a gambling habit, suffered from violent outbursts and divorced the love of his life, Faten Hamamam.
Now the Laurence of Arabia star is facing a brand new battle, one that can’t be won with money or power.
In an Interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Omar’s 58 year-old son Tarek El-Sharif revealed that his father is sadly battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Omar Sharif was once one of Hollywood’s most desired men
“My father has Alzheimer’s. It’s difficult to determine what stage it’s at. It’s obvious he’ll never improve and it will get worse. There are times of the day when he’s better and others in which he feels confused,” he told the publication.
He added: “When someone seems him in the street and approaches him, he often thinks it’s someone he used to know whose name and face he’s forgotten when most of the time it’s just a fan. He still knows he’s a famous actor.”
The Doctor Zhivago star also confuses the title, location and dates of the films that made him famous.
Omar has moved back to his home city of Cairo in a hotel, which Tarek says he often prefers not leave.
His life has been riddled with controversy and tragedy, yet the three time Golden Globe winner still managed to capture the hearts and minds of millions across the world.
To echo the testaments of Barbra Streisand, who acted beside Omar in the Oscar winning film Funny Girl and continued a brief love affair with actor once the cameras had turned off, “he was one hell of a guy.”
