Omar Sharif

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Egyptian-American actor, an elegant and handsome screen lover whose hit films include the magnificent "Lawrence of Arabia," which won him a 1962 Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor; "Dr. Zhivago;" and "Funny Girl." His movie career never advanced beyond these films, and he moved into occasional TV roles. He is a noted bridge player, writing an internationally syndicated column on the subject. Sharif is devoted to his mother, who liked to gamble and encouraged her son to do so as well. He speaks six languages. He has income from a perfume sold in Europe, race horses kept in Argentina, and his bridge column and activities. He is also affiliated with a travel agency that books bridge cruises. Well traveled himself, he lives in Paris for the most part. He married at age 21 Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, and he had a son, Tareq and a stepdaughter, Nadia. The marriage lasted ten years, but he has remained close to his son and friendly with Hamama. He claims to have not had a serious relationship since his divorce. He had an illegitimate child with an Italian journalist but did not maintain contact with either of them. In 1995, Sharif had heart bypass surgery. On August 6, 2003, in Paris, he received a one-month suspended sentence for hitting a police officer in a casino in July. In addition to his suspended sentence, he was ordered to pay a $1,700 fine and $340 in damages to the police officer. He died on 10 July 2015 after a heart attack at a hospital in Cairo, Egypt. Link to Wikipedia biography