One of the last great, British hell-raising British actors of the 1960s has passed away, as it’s been announced that Peter O’Toole has died aged 81. O’Toole had one of the great screen breakthroughs of all time, snagging the leading role in David Lean’s wonderful Lawrence Of Arabia. It took him from virtual unknown to major star in one swoop – even though he was always a bit circumspect about fame.
The Irish born but Leeds raised O’Toole was not one hit wonder though, becoming a true screen legend who could turn his hand to almost any role. That’s testified to by the fact he scored eight Oscar nomination, but he was always the bridesmaid as he famously never won a competitive one (he did pick up an honorary Oscar in 2003 though).
His great films include Becket, Man Of La Mancha, The Lion In Winter, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Last Empeor and Venus. While he cut back on roles in recent years, he did appear in the likes of Ratatouille and the TV series, The Tudor. He officially announced his retirement in 2012, but he didn’t quite stick to that, as he will be seen in the upcoming Katherine Of Alexandria.