Peter O’Toole (1932-2013)
“The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.”
It is a sad day whenever one learns about the passing of a cinematic great, and particularly one who was such a character, both on and off the screen. December 15th was such a day, as we learnt about the passing of Peter O’Toole at the age of 81 following a long illness. Although never winning an Oscar, O’Toole’s eight nominations mark a record for the most nominations without a win. His great work did not go unrecognised by the Academy though, as he was the recipient of a well-deserved Honorary Oscar in 2003. One of the last remaining true greats, O’Toole’s life was one as varied and as colourful as his on-screen characters.
Born in 1932, O’Toole’s place of birth remained a mystery even to the man himself. It was either Leeds or Connemara in Ireland, but he was widely considered to be an English gent, born to a Scottish mother and an Irish father. Raised as a Catholic, O’Toole started his working life as a journalist, before joining the Royal Navy as part of National Service. It wasn’t long though until he started working towards being an actor, attending RADA on a scholarship from 1952 to 1954. There, he shared a class with Alan Bates, Albert Finney, and Brain Bedford, all of whom were never marked as a talent to watch during their time at the prestigious acting academy.
After gaining a great deal of recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and the English Stage Company, he truly broke through as an actor to look out for when he starred in David Lean’s epic masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia in 1962. Earning the first of his eight Oscar nominations, O’Toole continued to catch the interest of numerous plaudits, receiving nominations for his role as King Henry II in two separate films; Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968).
Throughout the course of his life, O’Toole continued to work in theatre, devoting as much time to motion-pictures as he did to his thespian roots. He had great success playing Hamlet under Laurence Olivier’s direction in 1963, and worked with some of the best names in Hollywood, such as Peter Sellers (What’s New Pussycat? – 1965), Audrey Hepburn (How to Steal a Million – 1966), Richard Benjamin (My Favourite Year – 1982), and Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor – 1987).
While undeniably talented, O’Toole was a man of self-destructive tendencies, well and truly burning the candle at both ends. Throughout the 60’s and 70’s, he was notorious for his drinking habits, regularly raising hell with his good friends and fellow actors/rugby enthusiasts; Richard Harris and Richard Burton. His addiction to the drink nearly cost him his life after his stomach cancer was misdiagnosed. He underwent surgery in 1976, and had to have his pancreas removed along with a large part of his stomach. From this moment on, he suffered from insulin-dependent diabetes, which put a stop to his drinking habits (although he was partial to the odd one now and again). His life nearly ended for a second time in 1978 from a rare blood disorder. The actor was thrown out of work for a brief period of time, but bounced back in force with highly praised theatre performances in the likes of Man and Superman and Pygmalion.
O’Toole regularly appeared in film and television right up until his retirement last year. He received his last Oscar nomination in 2006, playing a variation of himself in the rather brilliant Venus, where he portrayed an elderly actor who finds himself increasingly attracted to his friend’s young great-niece. He leant his rich and unique vocals memorably to Ratatouille, added gravitas to Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy, and still has two films which are yet to be released.
One of the last of the truly great British character actors, O’Toole’s talent and presence will be greatly missed, but he has left a vast and outstanding body of work for future generations to appreciate. His was a life that was truly lived. Far from ordinary, and highly original; rest in peace Peter O’Toole.
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