The blue-eyed Hollywood actor of Irish descent is famous not only for his talented acting in such films as "Lawrence of Arabia", "How to Steal a Million", "Lion in Winter", "Troy" and hundreds of others. He is also known for his love of spirits and brawliness, which is why he got into curious situations throughout his life.
Biography of Peter O'Toole
The famous Hollywood actor was born on August 2, 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. He spent his childhood in Leeds, England. There his father Patrick worked as a bookmaker. As Peter O'Toole recalled: “When my father’s working day ended successfully, with his arrival the whole room was lit up with light, it was like a fairy tale; but when he failed, everything seemed black. In our house there have always been "funerals", then "weddings". Peter's mother, Constance Jane, of Scottish descent, worked as a nurse.
At an early age, O'Toole left school and went to work for the Yorkshire Evening Post. But I soon realized that "better than writing about any event, there can only be this event".
Peter O'Toole's early career
After completing his service in the British Navy, Peter O'Toole went on to acquire the necessary skills for an acting career at the famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
O'Toole got his first acting experience on the stage of the country's oldest and most respected theater in Bristol. He soon showed himself as a talented aspiring actor in the production of "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, where Peter O'Toole played the main character.
The Irish actor appeared on the big screen in 1960, playing minor roles in the films Innocent Savages, Kidnapped, and The Day the English Bank was Robbed.
The real recognition came to the actor after the director Sir David Lin invited him to the lead role in the drama "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962. Filming required a lot of physical and emotional stress from Peter O'Toole, since the work on the film project went on for two years and in seven different countries. The actor's efforts were rewarded: Peter O'Toole was nominated for an Oscar for Best Acting. Despite the fact that the actor did not receive the prestigious award, the film itself still won the Oscar as the "best".
With the release of Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O'Toole has become a recognizable actor across the ocean. This was followed by work in the historical biographical drama "Becket", where he embodied the image of King Henry II, for which he was again nominated for an Oscar.
The following year, two films were released at once with Peter O'Toole in the title role: the adventure melodrama "Lord Jim" and the comedy "What's New, Kitty" written by Woody Allen.
In 1966, an adventurous comedy featuring Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn, How to Steal a Million, was released worldwide. Two years later, they again starred together in the historical drama "Lion in Winter".
In 1972, Peter O'Toole starred in the comedy musical The Ruling Class as a mentally ill aristocrat who believed he was Jesus Christ.
Actor's health and love of alcohol
In addition to establishing himself as a talented actor, Peter O'Toole has also established himself as a "bottle-drinking actor." Love for alcohol and cigarettes negatively affected the health of the actor. In 1975, Peter O'Toole was admitted to hospital in serious condition, where he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Doctors forbade the actor to touch the bottle. Over the next 10 years, Peter O'Toole tried not to drink alcohol, replacing it with cocaine and marijuana, which he grew in his backyard in Ireland.
The Curious Cases of Peter O'Toole
When the actor was 25 years old, he came to the theatrical stage to rehearse a role from "The Merchant of Venice". But he was so drunk that he began to read lines from King Lear.
Once, an actor gambled his 9-month salary overnight while drunk.
Another time, Peter O'Toole, along with his friend Peter Finch, went to a pub at night for a drink. But they were denied a visit to the brewery, since the pub was already closed. Then Peter O'Toole found an original solution: he took a checkbook out of his pocket and wrote a check for the purchase of the pub. In the morning, sobering up, Peter O'Toole hurried back to the pub. Fortunately, the owner of the establishment did not cash the check. The actor and pub owner hit it off and even became friends.
Another curious incident occurred on the set of the film "The Lion in Winter". In one scene on the ship, Peter O'Toole's fingertip was cut off. Since there were no doctors nearby, the actor put him in a glass of brandy, and later decided to reunite everything by bandaging his finger tightly. What a surprise the actor was when, a week later, he unwound the bandages and saw that, being drunk, he connected the tip with his finger backwards.
Return to the cinema
After an illness, the actor returned to filming. In 1980 came the action comedy "The Stuntman", and two years later - the comedy drama "My Best Year". Over the next two decades, Peter O'Toole starred in more than 30 films.
In 1999, Peter OTul received an Emmy Award for his work in Jeanne d'Arc.
In 2004, the actor starred in the large-scale historical film "Troy" with such Hollywood actors as Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom.
The actor starred in the historical series "The Tudors" as Pope Paul II.
Throughout his film career, Peter O'Toole has four Golden Globes, but not a single Oscar.
Career retirement
In 2012, Peter O'Toole made a public announcement of his retirement from acting. After 50 years of working in theater and cinema, he admitted that he had lost interest in creativity. In an interview, Peter O'Toole said: "My professional acting life on stage and in the cinema brought me public support, good companions with whom I shared the inevitable lot of all actors: ups and downs."
Personal life of Peter O'Toole
The actor met his wife, Welsh actress Shan Phillips, on the stage in 1959, where they played brother and sister according to the script. Life with Peter O'Toole was full of surprises. One day he arrived for Shan in a yellow sports car, told his wife to take her passport, and said that they were going to Rome. But, being a rather unfortunate driver, Peter O'Toole made a mistake with the direction and instead of Rome they arrived in Yugoslavia. Another time, the actor did not like the choice of his wife's wardrobe. Peter O'Toole collected all of her outfits and threw them out of the window, which forced Shan to wear men's clothes for several days.
Their tumultuous marriage lasted 20 years. From him the actor has two children who hardly saw their father while growing up. Shan was furious with her husband's constant attachment to alcohol, being busy in the cinema and bohemian life. Peter O'Toole, fleeing family scandals, had affairs with many famous actresses. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Diana Doors, even Princess Margaret. In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor wanted to see exactly Peter O'Toole as Mark Antony in the historical drama Cleopatra.
Death of Peter O'Toole
After battling a long illness, Peter O'Toole passed away quietly at the age of 81 in a London hospital on December 14, 2013. Despite the warnings of doctors, the actor allowed himself to drink a pint of beer a day for the rest of his life.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins gave a speech: "Ireland and the whole world have lost one of the giants of film and theater."
