Working with Sharif on the adaptation of Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture, Sheridan recalls the fond memories he has of working with the Lawrence of Arabia star.

"I got a chance to meet him a few years ago and went out for something to eat and he was charming and funny, and people would stop him and he held court – he was a star"

Adding that the early stages of Alzheimer's disease were happening to Sharif when they worked together, Sheridan admits that it didn't take away from the Egyptian's charisma.

"Women were still crazy for him. Then I met him again but he was slipping a little bit, and then he came to do the movie, and that was tough because he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's"

Lastly, speaking of Sharif's exceptional acting abilities, Sheridan finished by saying "Monsieur Ibrahim was one of the films we showed at the festival last year, and he was amazing in that. He couldn't do wrong, with the eyes, the likeability and the soul coming through."

Sharif's funeral occurred yesterday in Cairo and was attended by close friends and family and members of the Egyptian acting community.