Peter O’Toole is a 7 time Oscar Nominated actor, best known for his portrayal of T.E Lawrence in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, as well as his duel roles of Henry the II, in The Lion in Winter and Becket.
Born in Connemara Ireland, August 2, 1932, O’Toole moved to Leeds, England at a young age. He decided his ideal field of work would be in journalism, and he worked his way into the game. This did not last for long though, for he soon would discover acting, and debuted on stage at the age of 17.
His next two years of life would be in the Royal Navy, where he was a radioman. O’Toole then returned to studying acting, this time at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, with many soon to be famous actors, including Albert Finney (who O’Toole would beat out for the lead in Lawrence in the near future.)
Although his true debut was in 1959 with The Savage Innocents (1959), O’Toole had a few minor roles until his breakthrough in the 1962 blockbuster Lawrence of Arabia. This 3 hour epic made O’Toole a huge star.
O’Toole would spend the next years in a combination of films, plenty of them below his true acting skill, and although some of them were still successful, he never won the academy award he was nominated for, seven different times.
O’Toole’s alcoholism is often blamed as the reason why he would never relive his performance in Lawrence of Arabia, and although he recovered from it eventually, his good-looks and fame were almost gone by then.
All the same, O’Toole is considered to be one of the best actors of his day.
IMDb Filmography
- Global Heresy (2001) .... Lord Foxley
- The Final Curtain (2001) .... J.J. Curtis
- Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell (1999) (TV) .... Jeffrey Bernard
- Joan of Arc (1999/I) (TV) .... Bishop Cauchon
- Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999) .... William Williamson
- The Manor (1999) .... Mr. Ravenscroft
- Coming Home (1998) (TV) .... Colonel Carey-Lewis
- Phantoms (1998) .... Timothy Flyte
- FairyTale: A True Story (1997) .... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Gulliver's Travels (1996) (TV) .... Emperor of Lilliput
- "Heavy Weather" (1995) TV Series .... Clarence, Earl of Emsworth
- "Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III" (1994) (mini) TV Series .... Sam Trump
- Civvies (1992) (TV) .... Barry Newman
- The Seventh Coin (1992) .... Emil Saber
- Rebecca's Daughters (1992) .... Lord Sarn
- Isabelle Eberhardt (1991) .... Major Lyautey
- King Ralph (1991) .... Willingham
- Nutcracker Prince (1990) (voice) .... Pantaloon
- The Rainbow Thief (1990) .... Prince Meleagre
- Uncle Silas (1990) (TV) .... Uncle Silas
- Crossing to Freedom (1990) (TV) .... John Sidney Howard
- In una notte di chiaro di luna (1989) .... Prof. McShoul
- Wings of Fame (1989) .... Cesar Valentin
- High Spirits (1988) .... Peter Plunkett
- The Dark Angel (1987) (TV) .... Uncle Silas
- The Last Emperor (1987) .... Reginal Flemming Johnson (R.J.)
- Club Paradise (1986) .... Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes
- Creator (1985) .... Doctor Harry Wolper
- Supergirl (1984) .... Zaltar
- Kim (1984) (TV) .... Lama
- Pygmalion (1983) (TV) .... Professor Henry Higgins
- Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet (1983) (voice) .... Sherlock Holmes
- Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (1983) (voice) .... Sherlock
Holmes
- Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four (1983) (voice) .... Sherlock Holmes
- Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear (1983) (voice) .... Sherlock Holmes
- Svengali (1983) (TV) .... Anton Bosnyak
- My Favorite Year (1982) .... Alan Swann
- "Masada" (1981) (mini) TV Series .... General Cornelius Flavius Silva
- "Strumpet City" (1980) TV Series .... Jim Larkin
- The Stunt Man (1980) .... Eli Cross
- Caligula (1980) .... Tiberius
- Zulu Dawn (1979) .... Lord Chelmsford
- Power Play (1978) .... Colonel Zeller
- Rogue Male (1976) (TV) .... Capt. Robert Thorndyke
- Foxtrot (1975) .... Liviu
- Man Friday (1975) .... Robinson Crusoe
- Rosebud (1975) .... Larry Martin
- Under Milk Wood (1973) .... Captain Cat
- The Ruling Class (1972) .... Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney
- Man of La Mancha (1972) .... Don Quixote de La Mancha/ Miguel de Cervantes/ Alonso Quijana
- Murphy's War (1971) .... Murphy
- Country Dance (1970) .... Sir Charles Henry Arbuthnot Pinkerton Ferguson
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) .... Arthur Chipping
- Great Catherine (1968) .... Capt. Charles Edstaston
- The Lion in Winter (1968) .... Henry II, King of England
- Present Laughter (1968) (TV)
- Casino Royale (1967) (uncredited) .... Piper
- The Night of the Generals (1967) .... General Tanz
- La Bibbia (1966) .... The Three Angels
- How to Steal a Million (1966) .... Simon Dermott
- The Sandpiper (1965) (uncredited) (voice)
- What's New, Pussycat (1965) .... Michael James
- Lord Jim (1965) .... Lord Jim
- Becket (1964) .... King Henry II
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962) .... T.E. Lawrence
- The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) .... Captain Fitch
- Kidnapped (1960) .... Robin MacGregor
- The Savage Innocents (1959) .... First Trooper
Sources:
http://members.tripod.com/peter_otoole/
http://us.imdb.com/Name?O%27Toole,+Peter
http://us.imdb.com/Bio?O%27Toole,+Peter