Omar Sharif, Star of 'Lawrence of Arabia,' Dies of Heart Attack

CAIRO, Egypt - Hollywood actor Omar Sharif who rose to fame for his roles in "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago" has died. He was 83.

He passed away in Cairo on Friday afternoon after suffering a heart attack, his agent told NBC News.

He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His best friend, Egypt's former Antiquities Minister, Zahi Hawass, described how the illness had taken hold in recent years.

"A year ago when he came to Egypt from Paris, I used to take him out every day," Hawass told NBC News. "He used to tell me, 'There is a man in Egypt I want to see so much, I love him.' 'Who is this man, is it Zahi Hawass?' I asked him, and he said 'Yes.'"

Born in Egypt to a Syrian-Lebanese family, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1962 for playing Sherif Ali in "Lawrence of Arabia," a movie that launched him to stardom.