Peter O'Toole - # 63

Actor Peter O'Toole was number 63 on the list.

Obituary: Peter O'Toole

Lawrence of Arabia won O'Toole the first of eight Oscar nominations

With his mesmeric blue eyes and mercurial manner, Peter O'Toole took the film world by storm in 1962 as the eponymous hero of David Lean's Oscar-winning epic, Lawrence of Arabia.

The role seemed tailor-made for the then 30-year-old actor and thrust him into the superstar bracket, where he was to remain for the rest of his life.

He was born in 1932, though where, exactly, remained a mystery, even to O'Toole himself.

He claimed to have two birth certificates. One stated that he was born in Ireland, one in England, but he was certainly brought up in Leeds in a Yorkshire Irish family.

His father, Captain Pat, was a bookmaker - a colourful character, the first of many to grace O'Toole's remarkable life.

After a spell as a cub reporter on the Yorkshire Evening News and two years' National Service in the Royal Navy, O'Toole studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Bristol Old Vic.

He later said his studies at Rada under a scholarship began "quite by chance... not out of burning ambition but because of all the wonderful-looking birds".

"I hitched to London on a lorry, looking for adventure. I was dropped at Euston Station and was trying to find a hostel. I passed the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and walked in just to case the joint."

Following a London appearance in Shaw's Major Barbara, he was well received as Shylock and Petruchio for the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford.

His triumph in The Long and the Short and the Tall at the Royal Court in 1960 brought him to the attention of director David Lean, who instantly invited him to play Lawrence. It was O'Toole's fourth film.

The mid-1960s saw him at the height of his powers. He was the archetypal hellraiser along with the two Richards, Harris and Burton, but also found time to play Hamlet for the National Theatre Company.

Film roles in Becket, The Lion in Winter and The Ruling Class, in which he played an eccentric English lord who believed that he was Jesus Christ, merely increased his reputation.

But there were also great flops, unfocused and poorly written parts - in such self-indulgent productions as What's New Pussycat? - which threatened to knock O'Toole's glittering career off kilter.

The 1970s saw the end of his excessive drinking. Although O'Toole once explained, "I just got fed up with it. And that was that", it came after doctors had diagnosed pancreatitis.

After 16 years, his marriage to the Welsh actress Sian Phillips, with whom he had two daughters, Patricia and the actress Kate, also broke down.

He returned to the stage in a blaze of publicity with Macbeth. The Old Vic production attracted the most vitriolic reviews of any play since the war.

Crowds flocked and, financially at least, it was a great success, but the old-style acting favoured by O'Toole was unpopular with the critics.

Peter O'Toole returned to the stage in 1980 in a blaze of publicity

Later, though, his stage appearances were triumphs.

Playing the title role in Jeffery Bernard is Unwell, a chronicle of the life of his friend, the legendary hard-drinking writer, O'Toole's versatility delighted a whole new generation of theatre-goers.

Besides this, there was a highly successful West End run in Shaw's Man and Superman, Pygmalion on Broadway and work for Dublin's Abbey and Gaiety theatres.

And he received critical and popular acclaim for his two volumes of autobiography, published under the general title Loitering with Intent.

His seemingly effortless ability to play eccentrics was brought to the fore again in Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, where he played the Scots tutor to the young ruler of China.

His portrayal of a drunken matinee idol in My Favourite Year, the only film he shot in the United States, was widely acclaimed.

O'Toole's son Lorcan was born in 1983 after he had a relationship with the US model Karen Somerville.

He was nominated for an Academy Award on eight occasions, most recently six years ago for Venus, but O'Toole's only recognition at the ceremony was with an honorary award in 2003.

Cricket was one of his passions and he coached youngsters.

Last July, he announced he was retiring from acting, saying it was time to "chuck in the sponge".

O'Toole said: "I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell. The heart for it has gone out of me."

 O'Toole attended the 2007 Oscars with his son Lorcan and daughter Kate

However, last month it was announced he was being lined up for a role as a Roman orator in Katherine of Alexandria, a film scheduled for release next year.

O'Toole was a man of great wit and intellect. The breadth of his ability, on stage and screen, in comedy and drama and, latterly, as a writer, was matched by the depth of his commitment to his work.

A turbulent private life was mirrored by performances of real feeling. He was never afraid to take risks with his work and he was dismissive of those who went for the soft option.
For Disney, he portrayed Robin MacGregor in the 1960 film Kidnapped and voiced Anton Ego in the 2007 Pixar film Ratatouille.

In an early poem, Peter O'Toole vowed to "stir the smooth sands of monotony". He undoubtedly managed this.

Film

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1960    Kidnapped       Robin MacGregor      

1960    The Savage Innocents             First Trooper  

1960    The Day They Robbed the Bank of England    Captain Monty Fitch  

1962    Lawrence of Arabia     T. E. Lawrence             BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor

Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance

1964    Becket Henry II           Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Sant Jordi Award for Best Performance in a Foreign Film

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominated—Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance

1965    Lord Jim           Lord Jim          

1965    What's New Pussycat?            Michael James           

1965    The Sandpiper                         Voice, Uncredited

1966    How to Steal a Million            Simon Dermott          

1966    The Bible: In the Beginning... The Three Angels       

1967    The Night of the Generals       General Tanz   David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor

1967    Casino Royale Scottish Piper Uncredited

1968    The Lion in Winter      Henry II           Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (3rd place)

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

1968    Great Catherine          Capt. Charles Edstaston         

1969    Goodbye, Mr. Chips    Arthur Chipping          David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place)

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

1970    Country Dance            Sir Charles Ferguson  

1971    Murphy's War             Murphy          

1972    Under Milk Wood       Captain Tom Cat        

1972    The Ruling Class          Jack Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney       National Board of Review Award for Best Actor

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (3rd place)

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

1972    Man of La Mancha      Don Quixote de La Mancha / Miguel de Cervantes / Alonso Quijano             National Board of Review Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

1975    Rosebud          Larry Martin   

1975    Man Friday      Robinson Crusoe        

1976    Foxtrot            Liviu    

1976    Rogue Male     Sir Robert Thorndyke

1978    Power Play      Colonel Zeller

1979    Zulu Dawn       Lord Chelmsford        

1979    Caligula           Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus         

1980    The Stunt Man            Eli Cross           National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (3rd place)

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

1982    My Favorite Year         Alan Swann     Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place)

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (3rd place)

New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (3rd place)

Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

1983    Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear         Sherlock Holmes         Voice

1983    Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet         Sherlock Holmes         Voice

1983    Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four            Sherlock Holmes         Voice

1984    Supergirl          Zaltar   Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor

1985    Creator            Dr. Harry Wolper       

1986    Ray Bradbury Theatre - Season 2, Episode 3 "Banshee"        John    

1986    The Blue Lotus            Mr. Morris (voice- to sound like Sylvester McCoy)   

1986    Club Paradise Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes     Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor

1987    The Last Emperor        Reginald Johnston       David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor

Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

1988    High Spirits      Peter Plunkett            

1989    As Long as It's Love     Prof. Yan McShoul     

1990    Wings of Fame            Cesar Valentin            

1990    The Rainbow Thief      Prince Meleagre        

1990    The Nutcracker Prince            Pantaloon        Voice

1991    King Ralph       Sir Cedric Charles Willingham           

1992    Rebecca's Daughters   Lord Sarn        

1992    Isabelle Eberhardt       Maj. Lyautey  

1993    The Seventh Coin        Emil Saber      

1997    FairyTale: A True Story            Arthur Conan Doyle   

1998    Phantoms        Dr. Timothy Flyte       

1999    The Manor      Mr. Ravenscroft         

1999    Molokai: The Story of Father Damien            William Williamson    

2002    Global Heresy Lord Charles Foxley     Cherbourg-Octeville Festival of Irish & British Film Award for Best Actor

Nominated—DVD Exclusive Award for Best Actor

2002    The Final Curtain         J. J. Curtis       

2003    Bright Young Things    Colonel Blount           

2004    Troy     King Priam       Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

2005    Lassie   The Duke        

2005    Mystic India     Narrator         

2006    Venus Maurice           National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place)

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominated—BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film

Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

2006    One Night with the King         Samuel, the Prophet  

2007    Ratatouille       Anton Ego       Voice

2007    Stardust           King of Stormhold      

2008    Dean Spanley Fisk Senior       New Zealand Film and TV Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film

Nominated—Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominated—London Critics Circle Film Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year

2008    Christmas Cottage      Glen Wesman

2008    Love and Virtue           Atlantes          

2009    God's Spy                   

2010    Eager to Die    Lord Pelican   

2012    Eldorado          Narrator         

2012    Cristiada          Father Christopher     

2014    Decline of an Empire   Gallus Posthumous release

2017    Diamond Cartel           Tugboat           Posthumous release

Television

Year     Title     Role     Notes

1956    The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel       First Soldier     TV show (1 episode) "A Tale of Two Pigtails"

1961    Rendezvous     John     TV show (3 episodes)

1968    Present Laughter        Garry Essendine          Television film

1980    Strumpet City Jim Larkin        TV show

1981    Masada           General Cornelius Flavius Silva           Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film

Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

1982    Man and Superman    Jack Tanner     Television film

1983    Pygmalion       Professor Henry Higgins         Television film

Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse   Sherlock Holmes         (voice)

Television film

Svengali           Anton Bosnyak            Television film

1984    Kim      Lama   Television film

1986    The Ray Bradbury Theater      John Hapmton            TV show (1 episode)

1987    The Dark Angel            Uncle Silas       TV serial, based on the novel Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

1990    Crossing to Freedom   John Sidney Howard   Television film

1992    Civvies             Barry Newman            Television film

1994    Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III         Sam Trump      Miniseries

1995    Heavy Weather           Clarence, Earl of Emsworth    Television film

1996    Gulliver's Travels         Emperor of Lilliput      Television film

1998    Coming Home Colonel Carey-Lewis   Television film

1999    Joan of Arc      Bishop Cauchon          Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell        Jeffrey Bernard           Television film

2002    The Education of Max Bickford           Sidney McKnight         TV show (1 episode)

2003    Hitler: The Rise of Evil             President Paul von Hindenburg          Television film

Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

Imperium: Augustus   Augustus Caesar         Television film

2005    Casanova         Older Casanova           TV serial (3 episodes)

2008    The Tudors      Pope Paul III    TV show (7 episodes)

Iron Road        Lionel Relic      Miniseries