RIP: Peter O'Toole (1923-2013)

Brian in Mesa

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RIP: Peter O'Toole (1923-2013)

Peter O'Toole, star of Lawrence of Arabia, dies aged 81

The actor Peter O'Toole who found stardom in David Lean's masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia, has died aged 81, his family has annouced.

The acclaimed leading man who overcame stomach cancer in the 1970s passed away at the Wellington hospital in London following a long illness.

His daughter Kate O'Toole said: "His family are very appreciative and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts."

O'Toole announced last year he was stopping acting saying: "I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell."

He said his career on stage and screen fulfilled him emotionally and financially, bringing him together "with fine people, good companions with whom I've shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits."

The president of Ireland, Michael Higgins, was among the first to pay tribute: "Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre."
 

AZZenny

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There was a time when Peter O'Toole was without question the sexiest actor on the face of the earth. Beyond that, he was a really skilled and nuanced actor who could carry off comedy as well as he could the bleakest tragedy. He was in some of my all-time favorite movies -- "Lawrence of Arabia," sure, but he was never T.E. Lawrence for me -- O'Toole was forever the passionate, tormented and arrogant King Henry in "Becket". Dear God, what a great movie THAT is. Then again, I loved "The Stunt Man." (How he always missed nabbing the Oscar is bewildering.)

It was all in those wonderful, expressive blue eyes, and the mellow, understated voice. He has consistently been one of my favorite working actors, even as he aged from a young man of great beauty to a damn fine-looking and charming old man.
 

Lefty

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It is amazing he never won an Oscar. He was a hell of an actor. The Lion in Winter is a great movie and he and Hepburn were brilliant.
 

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