Legendary Peter O'Toole Retires From Acting

[chamber-music]

Wasn't sure if I should put this here of the film section but I suppose here would be best.

Veteran actor Peter O'Toole has announced he is retiring from the stage and screen, at the age of 79.

The Irish-born star - best known for playing Lawrence of Arabia in Sir David Lean's 1962 film classic - said it was time to "chuck in the sponge".

After a career spanning 50 years O'Toole said: "I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell.

"The heart for it has gone out of me," he added. "It won't come back".
After starting out on the stage in Bristol and London at the age of 17, O'Toole's big break came when Lean cast him as British adventurer T E Lawrence.

The role earned him the first of eight Oscar nominations, with others coming for such films as Becket, The Lion in Winter and Goodbye, Mr Chips.
O'Toole was given an honorary Oscar in 2003, an award he had initially refused to accept.

In a letter he asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to delay the award until he was 80, saying he was "still in the game and might win the bugger outright".
'Good companions'

"My professional acting life, stage and screen, has brought me public support, emotional fulfilment and material comfort," the actor said in a statement.

"It has brought me together with fine people, good companions with whom I've shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits.

"However, it's my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one's stay," he went on.

O'Toole's most recent Oscar nomination was for Venus in 2006, when he lost out to The Last King of Scotland star Forest Whitaker.

The Connemara native, who turns 80 next month, was raised in northern England and initially became a journalist and a radioman for the Royal Navy.

He went on to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where his classmates included Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Richard Harris.

The actor, a legendary hellraiser, said he would now focus on writing a third volume of his memoirs.

Apart from his classic stuff people from the current generation probably know O'Toole from movies and TV Shows like

Supergirl
King Ralph
Phantoms
Troy
Joan Of Arc
Bright Young Things
The Tudors
Casanova
Hitler The Rise And Fall Of Evil

Peter O'Toole is the same age as Michael Caine but looks older probably because of his hellraising days taking its toll on him.

[KenK]

You mean he hadn't done that already?

[bullets]

His recent stuff might seem low key but he was on The Tudors in 2008. He still has a couple films in production.

[Thor The Mighty]

Well he has had a great career. I hope he enjoys his retirement.

[ZOMBIE]

Disgrace he didn't win the Oscar for LOA, laughable in fact.

[Spuzz]

His best film was The Stunt Man, which also in my opinion is one of, if not THE best film ever made.

[Nave 'Torment']

Wow, always thought he did a great job as Priam in Troy, and that was a thankless film to begin with. And this coming from someone who's obsessed with mythology.

I'm probably doing them a disservice by saying this but, O' Toole always reminded me of Richard Harris. Both phenomenal actors.

(PS - we have a separate film section?!)