Peter O'Toole

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Peter Seamus O'Toole (born August 2, 1932 in Connemara , Ireland , † December 14, 2013 in London , Great Britain ) was an Irish actor . In addition to his work in the theater, he appeared in more than 90 film and television roles from the mid-1950s, which earned him four Golden Globe Awards , an Emmy and eight Oscar nominations . He celebrated the greatest success with Lawrence of Arabia . In 2003 he was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) with an honorary Oscar for his life's work.

Life

childhood and education

Peter O'Toole was born in County Galway, western Ireland , in 1932 to Patrick Joseph O'Toole, a bookmaker, and Constance Ferguson, a nurse. He grew up mostly in English Leeds under poor conditions in an Irish immigrant neighborhood on. It was only from the age of eleven that O'Toole began to attend school at the strict St. Anne’s convent school there , where efforts were made to wean him from being left-handed . O'Toole left school three years later and found employment as an errand boy. He later worked as a photographer and journalist for the Yorkshire Evening News before joining the Royal Navy for military service on a submarine. From the age of 17 O'Toole appeared on stage as an amateur actor. After seeing a stage adaptation of King Lear with Michael Redgrave in the title role in Stratford-upon-Avon , he made the decision to pursue a professional acting career.

Theater roles

In 1952 O'Toole received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts , where he studied with Alan Bates , Albert Finney and Bryan Pringle . He had his first engagement at the Bristol Old Vic Theater , where his talent did not stay hidden for long and he was already playing Hamlet at the age of 23 . Bristol off his way to London and Stratford-upon-Avon led, where he at the newly founded Royal Shakespeare Company including the Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew played. In 1987 his only engagement followed on Broadway in New York , where he appeared in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion as Professor Higgins.

Success as a film actor

O'Toole made his television debut in the mid-1950s. However, he became known to a worldwide audience for his numerous cinema appearances, which followed his successful portrayal of the rebellious Private C. "Bammo" Bamforthin in Willis Hall's anti-war play The Long and The Short and The Tall ( Royal Court Theater , 1959). In 1962 he played the title role in David Lean's historical epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), for which he received his first Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe Award for Best Newcomer and the British Film Academy Award . It was the beginning of a successful career that earned him seven more Academy Awards for Best Actor : two each for his portrayal of King Henry II ( Becket , 1964; The Lion in Winter , 1968); for his role as a shy English teacher who falls in love with a showgirl ( Goodbye, Mr. Chips , 1969); for the part of the insane and deeply religious British aristocrat Jack Gurney ( The Ruling Class , 1972); for his portrayal of the ruthless film director Eli Cross ( The Long Death of Stuntman Cameron , 1981) and that of the formerly successful, alcoholic film actor Alan Swann, who is breaking new ground with his television work ( A Daredevil in New York , 1982). O'Toole received his last Oscar nomination in 2007 for the lead role in Roger Michell's tragic comedy Venus , in which, as a less than successful London acting veteran, he is torn from his lethargy by his acquaintance with an aimless 19-year-old (played by Jodie Whittaker ).

In 2003 O'Toole received the honorary Oscar for his life's work. He had initially refused to accept this special award and wrote a letter to the Academy in which he stated that he was "still in the game" and would like more time to win "the handsome guy". The Academy replied that they would give him a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, whether he wanted it or not. In January 2007 on the Charlie Rose talk show , he stated that his children finally convinced him to accept the Oscar of Honor. They made him aware that it was the highest honor in the film industry to receive this award. The Oscar for his life's work was presented to him by Meryl Streep . His long-time friend Kenneth Griffith, however, was bitterly disappointed that O'Toole had deigned to accept such a "ridiculous price".

In July 2012, O'Toole announced that it would retire from film and theater. "I don't have the heart for it anymore, and it won't come back either," said his press release.

In the early 1990s he published Loitering with Intent - the Child, the first volume of his memoirs that was highly acclaimed by critics. The second volume - Loitering with Intent - the Apprentice followed a few years later.

From 1962, Sebastian Fischer dubbed Peter O'Toole for many years . From 1982 Jürgen Thormann was his new German standard voice , also in his appearance in The Tudors , but between 1984 and 1998 Fischer still spoke O'Toole in three films.

Private life

Peter O'Toole lived in London and one of his hobbies was cricket . In his marriage to the Welsh actress Siân Phillips , which lasted from 1959 to 1979 , he was the father of two daughters ( Kate , * 1960, actress, and Pat, * 1963, acting teacher and director). A son ( Lorcan O'Toole , * 1983, actor) was born from a relationship with the American model Karen Brown , around whom a custody battle broke out in the media in 1988. Peter O'Toole died after a long illness on December 14, 2013 at the age of 81 in London.

Filmography (selection)

Published autobiographies

Awards

In his career, Peter O'Toole has been nominated for over 60 film and television awards, of which he has won more than 20. With eight Oscar nominations between 1963 and 2007 in the Best Actor category , he is the most frequently nominated but never awarded actor.

Honors

  • 1963: Golden Globe Award for Lawrence of Arabia ( Best Young Actor )
  • 1963: British Film Academy Award for Lawrence of Arabia ( Best British Actor )
  • 1963: Laurel Award for Lawrence of Arabia (Best Young Actor)
  • 1964: David di Donatello for Lawrence of Arabia (Best Foreign Actor)
  • 1965: Golden Globe Award for Becket ( Best Actor - Drama )
  • 1965: Premio Sant Jordi for Becket (Best Foreign Actor)
  • 1967: David di Donatello for The Night of the Generals (Best Foreign Actor)
  • 1969: Golden Globe Award for The Lion in Winter (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 1970: National Board of Review Award for Goodbye, Mr. Chips ( Best Actor )
  • 1970: Golden Globe Award for Goodbye, Mr. Chips ( Best Actor - Comedy or Musical )
  • 1970: David di Donatello for Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Best Foreign Actor)
  • 1972: National Board of Review Award for The Ruling Class and The Man of La Mancha (Best Actor)
  • 1981: National Society of Film Critics Award for The Long Death of Stuntman Cameron ( Best Actor )
  • 1984: Premio Sant Jordi for A Daredevil in New York (Best Foreign Actor)
  • 1987: CableACE Award for The Ray Bradbury Theater: Banshee (Best Actor in a TV Drama Series)
  • 1988: David di Donatello for The Last Emperor (Best Supporting Actor)
  • 1988: Commandeur des Arts et Lettres
  • 1999: Emmy for Jeanne d'Arc - The Woman of the Millennium (Best Supporting Actor in a TV series or film)
  • 2002: Actor Award of the Cherbourg-Octeville Festival of Irish & British Film for Up to the Last Curtain
  • 2002: Telegatto (TV special award)
  • 2003: Honorary Oscar for his life's work
  • 2004: Irish Film and Television Award for Troy (Best Supporting Actor in a Feature or TV Film)
  • 2006: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society
  • 2009: Irish Film and Television Award for The Tudors (Best Supporting Actor - Television)
  • 2009: New Zealand Film and TV Award for Dean Spanley (Best Supporting Actor - Feature Film)

Nominations

  • 1963: Golden Globe nomination for Lawrence of Arabia (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 1963: Oscar nomination for Lawrence of Arabia ( Best Actor )
  • 1963: 4th place at the Laurel Awards for Lawrence of Arabia (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 1964: 2nd place in the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Becket ( Best Actor )
  • 1965: Oscar nomination for Becket (Best Actor)
  • 1965: 4th place at the Laurel Awards for Becket (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 1965: British Film Academy Award nomination for Becket (Best British Actor)
  • 1968: 3rd place at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for The Lion in Winter (Best Actor)
  • 1969: Oscar nomination for The Lion in Winter (Best Actor)
  • 1970: Oscar nomination for Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Best Actor)
  • 1973: Golden Globe nomination for The Man from La Mancha (Best Actor - Comedy or Musical)
  • 1973: Oscar nomination for The Ruling Class (Best Actor)
  • 1980: 2nd place at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for The Long Death of Stuntman Cameron (Best Actor)
  • 1981: Golden Globe nomination for The Long Death of Stuntman Cameron (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 1981: Oscar nomination for The Long Death of Stuntman Cameron (Best Actor)
  • 1981: Emmy nomination for Masada (Best Actor in a Limited Series or Special)
  • 1982: Golden Globe nomination for Masada (best actor in a television series or film)
  • 1982: 3rd place at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for A Daredevil in New York (Best Actor)
  • 1983: 3rd place at the National Society of Film Critics Awards for A Daredevil in New York (Best Actor)
  • 1983: Golden Globe nomination for A Daredevil in New York (Best Actor - Comedy or Musical)
  • 1983: Oscar nomination for Daredevil in New York (Best Actor)
  • 1985: Nomination for the Golden Raspberry for Supergirl (worst leading actor)
  • 1987: Nomination for the Golden Raspberry for Club Paradise (worst supporting actor)
  • 1989: Nomination for the British Academy Film Award for The Last Emperor ( Best Supporting Actor )
  • 2000: Golden Globe nomination for Jeanne d'Arc - The Woman of the Millennium (Best Supporting Actor in a television series, multi-part or film)
  • 2003: Emmy nomination for Hitler - Rise of Evil (Best Supporting Actor in a TV series or film)
  • 2004: Lifetime Achievement Award of the Savannah Film and Video Festival
  • 2006: Nomination for the British Independent Film Award for Venus (Best Actor)
  • 2006: Nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Venus ( Best Actor )
  • 2006: Nomination for the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Venus (Best Actor)
  • 2006: Satellite Award nomination for Venus ( Best Actor - Comedy / Musical )
  • 2007: Nomination for the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Venus (Best Actor)
  • 2007: 2nd place at the National Society of Film Critics Awards for Venus ( Best Actor )
  • 2007: Nomination for the Online Film Critics Society Award for Venus ( Best Supporting Actor )
  • 2007: Nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Venus ( Best Actor )
  • 2007: Golden Globe nomination for Venus (Best Actor - Drama)
  • 2007: Nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Venus (Best Actor)
  • 2007: Oscar nomination for Venus (Best Actor)
  • 2009: Nomination for the Irish Film and Television Award for Dean Spanley (Best Supporting Actor - Film)
  • 2009: Nomination for the Golden Nymph of the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo for The Tudors (Best Actor in a Drama TV Series)
  • 2009: Nomination for the London Critics Circle Film Award for Dean Spanley (Best Supporting Actor)

literature

  • Sibylle Luise Binder: Peter O'Toole. A portrait. Henschel (Dornier), Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-89487-435-X .

Web links

Commons : Peter O'Toole  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Peter O'Toole is dead. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung of December 15, 2013 (accessed December 15, 2013).
  2. Peter O'Toole . In: World who's who: Europa biographical reference . Routledge, London 2002 (accessed July 13, 2012 via worldwhoswho.com).
  3. a b c Peter O'Toole . In: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 22/2002 from May 20, 2002, supplemented by news from MA-Journal up to week 49/2011 (accessed via Munzinger Online ).
  4. Peter O'Toole ends acting career with Spiegel Online , July 10, 2012 (accessed July 12, 2012).
  5. Booth, Robert (2013) " Peter O'Toole, star of Lawrence of Arabia, dies aged 81 ", theguardian.com, December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2013
  6. Awards in the Internet Movie Database (accessed July 13, 2012).