Actor Omar Sharif, best known for his title role as Doctor Zhivago in the Oscar-winning film, has died, Egyptian state television said. He was 83.<br /><br /> In May, Sharif’s agent confirmed the actor, who played a wide range of dashing and dignified characters while building a reputation as an expert bridge player, had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.<br /><br /> Sharif was one of the few Arab actors to make it big in Hollywood. He won international fame and an Oscar-nomination for best supporting actor for his role in the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia” with Peter O’Toole.<br /><br /> Born as Michel Shalhoub on April 10, 1932, to a wealthy family in Alexandria, Egypt, Sharif grew interested in acting while studying mathematics and physics at university in Cairo.<br /><br /> Raised as a Roman Catholic, Sharif converted to Islam and married Hamama in 1955, taking on his new name. They had a son, Tarek, who played Yuri in “Doctor Zhivago” at age 8, but the couple divorced in 1974.<br /><br /> Despite Sharif’s image as a sex sym
