Line #18 Creator/PeterOToole


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_otoole_photo.jpeg]]
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3	->''"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."''
4
5	Peter Seamus O'Toole (2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British-Irish actor.
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7	His StarMakingRole was ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia'' in 1962. Regarded as one of the best actors of all time, he received a record of eight UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations [[AwardSnub without ever winning one]]. However, in 2003 the Academy gave him an [[ConsolationAward Honorary Oscar]] for his entire body of work and his lifelong contribution to film. On July 10, 2012, Mr. O'Toole announced his retirement from acting. He passed away on December 14, 2013 at age 81 after a long illness.
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9	Though he preferred to be called Irish all his life, claimed he was born in Connemara, and had an Irish and an English birth certificate, records verify O'Toole was really born in Leeds, and he grew up in Yorkshire. His parents were Irish and Scottish. Nevertheless, Ireland happily claims him as one of her own. His ashes even resided temporarily in Áras an Uachtaráin, as he was a personal friend of President Michael D Higgins.
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11	He was married to Welsh actress Creator/SianPhillips from 1959 to 1979.
12	----
13	!!Notable Roles:
14	!!!'''Film:'''
15	* ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia'' (1962) as Thomas Edward Lawrence
16	* ''Film/{{Becket}}'' (1964) as King Henry II of England
17	* ''Literature/LordJim'' (1965) as Lord Jim
18	* ''Film/WhatsNewPussycat'' (1965) as Michael James
19	* ''Film/{{The Bible\|1966}}'' (1966) as The Three Angels
20	* ''Film/HowToStealAMillion'' (1966) as Simon Dermott
21	* ''Film/TheNightOfTheGenerals'' (1967) as General Wilhelm Tanz
22	* ''Film/TheLionInWinter'' (1968) as Henry II of England
23	* ''Film/GoodbyeMrChips'' (1969) as Arthur Chipping
24	* ''Film/MurphysWar'' (1971) as Murphy
25	* ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'' (1972) as Don Quixote de La Mancha / Miguel de Cervantes / Alonso Quijano
26	* ''Film/TheRulingClass'' (1972) as Jack Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney
27	* ''Film/{{Caligula}}'' (1979) as Tiberius
28	* ''Zulu Dawn'' (1979) as Lord Chelmsford
29	* ''Film/TheStuntMan'' (1980) as Eli Cross
30	* ''Film/MyFavoriteYear'' (1982) as Alan Swann
31	* ''Film/{{Supergirl\|1984}}'' (1984) as Zaltar
32	* ''Creator'' (1985) as Dr. Harry Wolper
33	* ''Film/ClubParadise'' (1986) as Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes
34	* ''Film/TheLastEmperor'' (1987) as Reginald Johnston
35	* ''Film/HighSpirits'' (1988) as Peter Plunkett
36	* ''Film/KingRalph'' (1991) as Sir Cedric Charles Willingham
37	* ''Film/FairyTale'' (1997) as Arthur Conan Doyle
38	* ''Literature/{{Phantoms}}'' (1998) as Dr. Timothy Flyte
39	* ''Film/{{Molokai}}'' (1999) as William Williamson
40	* ''Film/GlobalHeresy'' (2002) as Lord Charles Foxley
41	* ''Film/ImperiumAugustus'' (2003) as UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}}
42	* ''Film/{{Troy}}'' (2004) as King Priam
43	* ''Franchise/{{Lassie}}'' (2005) as The Duke
44	* ''Venus'' (2006) as Maurice Russell
45	* ''Film/{{Stardust}}'' (2007) as the King of Stormhold
46	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' (2007), voice of Anton Ego
47	* ''Decline of an Empire'' (2013) as Gallus, his last role
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49	!!!'''Live Action Television:'''
50	* ''Series/{{Masada}}'' (1981) as General Cornelius Flavius Silva
51	* ''Series/GulliversTravels1996'' (1996) as the Emperor of Lilliput
52	* ''Series/JoanOfArc'' (1999) as Bishop Pierre Cauchon
53	* ''Series/HitlerTheRiseOfEvil'' (2003) as Paul von Hindenburg
54	* ''Imperium: Augustus'' (2003) as Emperor Augustus Caesar
55	* ''{{Series/Casanova}}'' (2005) as old Giacomo Casanova
56	* ''Series/TheTudors'' (2007) as Pope Paul III
57
58	!!Tropes in his works:
59
60	* DoingItForTheArt: He wanted to star in ''Film/TheRulingClass'' so much that he waived his salary, appearing in the film for nothing.
61	* DyeingForYourArt: O'Toole had naturally curly brown hair, but dyed it blond and straightened it to play ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''. He apparently liked this style, or else felt it suited certain characters of his better than his natural colour, as he switched repeatedly throughout his career.
62	* HostilityOnTheSet: He said in an interview that the experience of making ''Film/{{Troy}}'' was the worst of his career, due to an acrimonious relationship between himself and the director. He never watched the film as a result.
63	* LargeHam: His tendency to overact was legendary. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools And awesome]].
64	* NoHitWonder: As mentioned above, he held a record of eight Oscar nominations without ever winning one. When he was given an [[invoked]][[ConsolationAward honorary one]] in 2001, he said he'd seriously considered turning it down, as he was still working and "wanted to win the lovely bugger outright."
65	* TheQueensLatin: Got to play quite a few characters in ancient world (mainly Roman) settings, such as Tiberius in ''Caligula'', Flavius Silva in ''Series/{{Masada}}'', king Priam in ''Film/{{Troy}}'', emperor Augustus in ''Imperium: Augustus'' and, finally, Gallus in ''Katherine of Alexandria''.
66	* StarMakingRole: ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia''.
67	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: After the passing of Creator/RichardHarris, his family wanted O'Toole to take up the role of [[Film/HarryPotter Albus Dumbledore]] due to the close friendship between the two actors. The studio decided against it, worried that he too would die before the series concluded. Ironically O'Toole would pass away two years ''after'' the release of the final film.

Context Creator / PeterOToole