Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole was a British actor who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of cinema. He was born on August 2, 1932 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co. His father died in World War II when he was ten years old, and his mother never revealed his true paternity. He was educated at St Anne's Catholic School in Leeds and St Joseph's Secondary School in Hunslet. He developed a passion for acting at an early age and joined the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1951. He also worked as a journalist and a radioman in the Royal Navy. O'Toole's career spanned six decades and encompassed a variety of genres and roles. He was known for his versatility, technical skill and ability to transform himself into different characters. He was especially adept at playing historical figures, such as T.E. Lawrence, King Henry II, Lord Byron, Alan Swann and Emperor Aurelius. He also starred in several comedies, such as What's New Pussycat?, How to Steal a Million, The Ruling Class and My Favorite Year, which showcased his comedic talent and timing. O'Toole achieved worldwide fame and recognition for his role as T.E. Lawrence in David Lean's epic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962) for which he received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was nominated for this award another seven times – for playing King Henry II in both Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982), and Venus (2006) – and holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for acting without a win (tied with Richard Burton). In 2003, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievements. O'Toole was the recipient of four Golden Globe Awards, one BAFTA Award for Best British Actor and one Primetime Emmy Award. Other performances include The Night of the Generals (1967), Man of La Mancha (1972), Caligula (1979), The Last Emperor (1987), Troy (2004) and Ratatouille (2007). He also voiced Anton Ego, the restaurant critic in Pixar's Ratatouille (2007). Apart from his film career, O'Toole was also a distinguished stage actor who excelled in Shakespearean roles. He played Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard II, King Lear and many other characters on stage and screen. He also appeared in several plays by modern playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and Jeffrey Bernard. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Apple Cart (1981) on Broadway. O'Toole was married to actress Siân Phillips from 1959 to 1979. They had two daughters, Kate and Patricia, who also became actresses. He also had a son, Lorcan, with his former girlfriend Karen Brown. O'Toole was a heavy drinker and smoker for most of his life, which affected his health and appearance. He survived a bout with stomach cancer in 1976, but had to undergo surgery to remove part of his stomach and intestine. He quit drinking in 1979 and became a vegetarian. O'Toole was a loyal friend to many fellow actors, such as Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Omar Sharif and Michael Caine. He was also a fan of rugby, cricket and horse racing. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for his services to the arts and received many other awards and honors throughout his life. He died of stomach cancer on December 14, 2013 at the age of 81 in London. He was cremated and his ashes were temporarily placed in a safe deposit box at the Irish Presidential mansion in Dublin, pending burial in Galway, Ireland near the home of his daughter.