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01
He was nominated eight times for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but never won. He had more nominations without winning than any other actor.
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02
According to his daughter Kate O’Toole, Peter O’Toole wore green socks every day due to personal superstitions. However, in a 1983 interview on David Letterman he explained that his father required him not to wear any green, so he wore green socks to disobey his father.
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03
When he was named the recipient of a Special Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2003, he intended to turn it down, feeling the award signaled the end of his career. He wrote the Academy a letter stating that he was still in the game and wanted more time to win the lovely bugger outright. Only after the Academy said they would award it regardless did he relent.
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04
After his death his ashes were brought back to Ireland, where they are held in safe keeping by President Michael D Higgins in his official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, until he can be laid to rest in the west of Ireland.
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05
He once said his actual date of birth went unrecorded, and that he may have been born in June 1932. However the Leeds City Council register of births, deaths and marriages proved that he was born on 2 August 1932 at St James University Hospital in Leeds.
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06
His performance as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia 1962 is the #1-ranked performance of all time in Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time 2006.
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07
He was only one of six performers to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films. He was nominated as Henry II in Becket 1964 and The Lion in Winter 1968. The other five are Bing Crosby, Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Cate Blanchett, and Sylvester Stallone. O’Toole was the only one nominated for playing the same character in films that were not a prequel or sequel.
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08
He went to America with Omar Sharif for the film premiere of Lawrence of Arabia. The night before the opening Peter took Omar to see Lenny Bruce in a show after which they went back stage to see Lenny then all went out for drinks. After a while Lenny said he had to go home for a few minutes so they accompanied him. As Lenny was giving himself a drug injection the police broke in and arrested them all. At the police station Omar rang producer Sam Spiegel who eventually got them released.
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09
Allegedly declined a knighthood for political reasons in 1987.
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10
On July 10, 2012, he announced his retirement from acting.
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11
In 1976 he underwent surgery to remove parts of his stomach and intestine, at the time attributed to his heavy drinking, but later disclosed to be stomach cancer. In the following year he almost died from a blood disorder. These two serious illnesses greatly affected his ability to work.
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12
Broke his hip while filming Venus 2006, but returned to work after only three weeks.
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13
Could play the bagpipes and during his youth was a member of an Irish pipe band. He is seen playing the pipes in two of his films: Kidnapped 1960 and Brotherly Love 1970.
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14
In his later films from the 1980s onwards he is frequently seen wearing an Irish Claddagh ring on the third finger of his right hand.
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15
Won his career-making part in Lawrence of Arabia 1962 after it was turned down by Marlon Brando and Albert Finney. Both director David Lean and producer Sam Spiegel wanted Brando, but he turned the role down. Finney was put through extensive screen-tests but refused to sign a seven year contract. O’Toole signed and got the part.
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16
He attended a Catholic school where the nuns beat him to correct his left-handedness.
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17
He was almost cast as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady 1964 due to concerns that Rex Harrison was too old, but his salary demands were more than producer Jack L. Warner was willing to pay.
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18
His middle name was actually James, although he often used the Irish version Seamus.
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19
The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 was originally meant to be a vehicle for O’Toole.
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20
He played the first Roman Emperor Augustus in Augustus: The First Emperor 2003, whereas his ex-wife, Siân Phillips, played Augustus’ wife, Livia, in I, Claudius 1976.
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21
He disliked Troy 2004, to the point of walking out the finished film after minutes. He also disliked Wolfgang Petersen.
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22
Was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2000 for Outstanding Achievement Award for his theatrical career.
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23
Both he and his fellow Irish actor Richard Harris appeared in versions of Gulliver’s Travels: Harris played the film version in 1977 and O’Toole played the Emperor of Lilliput in the 1996 TV-film version starring Ted Danson as Gulliver.
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24
Was a close friend of Katharine Hepburn. Although some believe his daughter Kate O’Toole is named after Hepburn, according to Sian Phillips’ autobiography they named their daughter after the character Kate in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.
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25
Was friends with fellow Irish actor Richard Harris. After Harris died, his family hoped O’Toole would replace him as Professor Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004, but the role went to Michael Gambon.
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26
Said that he learned more about acting by working with José Ferrer in Lawrence of Arabia 1962 than in any acting class. Ferrer himself considers that role to be his best. Ironically, Ferrer nearly declined the role because it was so small.
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27
Was the original choice to play King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons 1966 but Robert Shaw, who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, was cast instead.
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28
Cited Rose Byrne and Jodie Whittaker as the best young actresses he had ever worked with.
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29
He turned down the lead role in Doctor Zhivago 1965, unwilling to work with David Lean again after his experience in Lawrence of Arabia 1962.
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30
The DVD of Rogue Male 1976 has a two page biography of Peter O’Toole that at the end reads as follows: Peter O’Toole died in 2003 after a long illness. Whoever entered that erroneous fact must have been surprised to see Peter show up at The 79th Annual Academy Awards 2007 for his nomination in Venus 2006.
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31
In 1995 he was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history #47.
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32
He worked with Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, Ursula Andress and Burt Bacharach on both What’s New Pussycat 1965 and Casino Royale 1967.
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33
The family of the late Richard Harris asked him to replace Harris as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. Although flattered, he declined, citing weariness at such a commitment and inability to get insurance due to age.
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34
He was considered to play the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who: The Movie 1996 and also for the role of Borusa, but he was enthusiastic before the character was dropped.
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35
While at RADA in the early 1950s he was active in protesting British involvement in the Korean War. Later in the 1960s he was an active opponent of the Vietnam War.
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36
He was considered for Sean Connery’s roles in Marnie 1964, Highlander 1986 and The Name of the Rose 1986.
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37
Starred in four Oscar Best Picture nominees: Lawrence of Arabia 1962, Becket 1964, The Lion in Winter 1968 and The Last Emperor 1987. Lawrence of Arabia and The Last Emperor both won. He was also nominated for Best Actor for the first three.
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38
Was originally approached by director Billy Wilder to play Sherlock Holmes in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes 1970, opposite Peter Sellers as Dr. Watson. Wilder later decided to go with lesser known stars.
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39
He was approached to play Dillinger/Sark in Tron 1982, but after reading the script he became very interested in playing Tron.
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40
His performance as Alan Swann in My Favorite Year 1982 is ranked #56 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
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41
He turned down the role of Judas Iscariot in Jesus of Nazareth 1977 due to ill health. The role went to Ian McShane.
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42
O’Toole played rugby league as a child in Leeds and was also a rugby union fan, attending Five Nations matches with friends Richard Harris, Kenneth Griffith, Peter Finch and Richard Burton. He was also a lifelong player, coach and enthusiast of cricket and a fan of Sunderland A.F.C.
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43
Although O’Toole always claimed to have been born in Ireland, the birth records show he was actually born in Leeds in England. There is no record of any Peter O’Toole being born in Ireland in 1932. His parents had lived in Leeds since 1930.
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44
He was Terry Gilliam’s original choice for the lead role in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 1988.
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45
On 18 May 2014, a new prize was launched in memory of Peter O’Toole at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School; this includes an annual award given to two young actors from the school, including a professional contract at Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
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46
He was seriously considered to play Marc Anthony in Cleopatra 1963.
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47
Father of actor Lorcan O’Toole, Kate O’Toole and Pat O’Toole.
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48
Chosen by GQ magazine as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years.
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49
The Leeds City Council register of births, deaths and marriages proved that the man who went through life proudly purporting to be an Irishman was in fact a Yorkshireman, born at St James University Hospital in Leeds, on 2 August 1932.
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50
He was considered for the lead role in Doctor Dolittle 1967.
