The son of Egyptian actor Omar Sharif says the 83-year-old actor has been struggling with Alzheimer’s disease for the last three years.
Tarek Al Sharif told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the Doctor Zhivago star has problems with his memory and confuses the names of his films, which include 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia, for which he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar.
“My father has Alzheimer’s. It’s difficult to determine what stage it’s at,” Tarek told the newspaper, according to People. “It’s obvious he’ll never improve and it will get worse.”
Sharif has retired from the industry because of his illness, reports the Daily Telegraph. His most recent film was 2013 French-Moroccan production Rock The Casbah.
“He still knows he’s a famous actor,” Tarek added. “The loss of memory affects above all specific things, details like when he was in a specific places or who he acted with in a specific film.”
Alexandria, Egypt-born Sharif, was a star in the Arabic film industry, often playing a romantic lead opposite his wife, Faten Hamama, who died in January this year. He then become a worldwide star, appearing in Hollywood classics such as Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl
Sharif, born Michel Demetri Chalhoub, converted to Islam to marry Faten; together they had one son, Tarek, who told the newspaper that his father sometimes asks for his mother, forgetting she died earlier this year.
“There are times of the day when he’s better and others in which he feels confused,” Tarek said.
