Peter Otoole

Peter O'Toole

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Irish-born actor Peter O'Toole’s illustrious career spans five decades.  During that time, the range of recognition he has received for his performances on the big screen comprises seven Academy Award® nominations for Best Actor and an Honorary Academy Award® in 2003, two BAFTA nominations for Best Actor (and a win for David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)), and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama for Herbert Ross’ “Goodbye Mr Chips” (1969), Peter Glenville’s  “Becket” (1964) and Anthony Harvey’s “A Lion in Winter” (1968); he has been nominated for the Golden Globe an additional six times.

O'Toole's cinematic credits range from such classics as Clive Donner’s “What's New Pussycat?” (1965), Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” (1987), Richard Benjamin’s “My Favorite Year” (1982), Richard Rush’s “The Stunt Man” (1980), Peter Medak’s “The Ruling Class” (1972) and Richard Brooks’ “Lord Jim” (1965), to more recent roles in Wolfgang Peterson’s “Troy” (2004), Stephen Fry’s “Bright Young Things” (2003), Charles Sturridge’s “Lassie” (2005) and “Fairytale - A True Story” (1997), Sidney J. Furie’s “Global Heresy” (2002), Joe Chappelle’s “Phantoms” (1998), Karl Francis’ “Rebecca's Daughters” (1992), and Matthew Vaughan’s upcoming “Stardust”.

O’Toole’s stage career includes four years with The Old Vic Company at the Theatre Royal, Bristol; “The Long, The Short And The Tall” - Royal Court. “Shylock” and “Petruchio” – Stratford on Avon; “Waiting For Godot” at the Abbey Theatre Dublin; “Juno And The Paycock” – Dublin; “Look Back In Anger”, “Hamlet”, “Macbeth” – Old Vic Company; “Pygmalion” – London and Broadway; “The Apple Cart” and “Man And Superman”, Theatre Royal, London; “Uncle Vanya” and “Present Laughter” Toronto and Kennedy Centre, Washington.

Modern plays include “Ride a Cock Horse”, “Our Song” and “Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell” – West End and Old Vic, for which he won a special Olivier Award in 1999.

On the small screen Peter O’Toole recently starred in BBC/Red Productions adaptation of “Casanova.”  His credits extend to live television in the ‘50’s including his own play “The Laughing Woman” and also include “Coming Home”, “Gulliver’s Travels”’, “Rogue Male”, “Heavy Weather”, “Strumpet City”, “Joan of Arc”, and “Masada”.

He has published two volumes of his autobiography, “Loitering with Intent: The Child” and “Loitering with Intent: The Apprentice”. He is presently working on a third installment.

O’Toole was appointed Commandant De L’Ordre des Arts et de Lettres, France’s highest Order of Merit in 1989.

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