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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brigitte Nielsen to Bill Owen
Peter O'Toole Biography (1932-)
Full name Peter Seamus (some sources cite Seamus Peter) O'Toole; born August2, 1932, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland; son of Patrick Joseph (a bookmaker) and Constance Jane (maiden name, Ferguson) O'Toole; married Sian Phillips (an actress), December, 1959 (divorced, 1979); children: (with Phillips) Katherine "Kate" (an actress), Patricia; (with model Karen Brown) Lorcan. Addresses: Manager: Johnnie Planco, Untitled Entertainment, 23 East 22nd St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10010.
- Nationality
- Irish
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Actor, producer, director
- Birth Details
- August 2, 1932
- Connemara, Galway, Ireland
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- Robin Oig MacGregor, Kidnapped, 1959, Buena Vista, 1960
- Captain Fitch, The Day They Robbed the Bank of England, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1960
- First trooper, The Savage Innocents (also known as Les dents dudiable and Ombre bianche), Paramount, 1961
- Thomas E. Lawrence (title role), Lawrence of Arabia, Columbia, 1962
- King Henry II, Becket, Paramount, 1964
- Title role, Lord Jim, Columbia, 1965
- Michael James, What's New Pussycat? (also known as Quoi de neuf, Pussycat?), United Artists, 1965
- (Uncredited) Voice, The Sandpiper, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965
- The three angels, The Bible ... in the Beginning (also known as The Bible and La Bibbia), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
- Simon Dermott, How to Steal a Million (also known as How to Steal a Million Dollars and Live Happily Ever After), Twentieth Century-Fox,1966
- General Tanz, The Night of the Generals (also known as La nuitdes generaux), Columbia, 1967
- (Uncredited) Piper, Casino Royale (also known as Charles K. Feldman's Casino Royale), Columbia, 1967
- King Henry II, The Lion in Winter, Avco Embassy, 1968
- Captain Charles Edstaston, Great Catherine, Warner Bros., 1968
- Arthur Chipping, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1969
- Sir Charles Henry Arbuthot Pinkerton Ferguson, Brotherly Love (also known as Country Dance and The Same Skin), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1970
- Murphy, Murphy's War, Paramount, 1971
- Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote-Quijana, and Alonso Quijano, Man of La Mancha (also known as L'uomo della Mancha), United Artists, 1972
- Jack Arnold Alexander Tancred Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney, The RulingClass, Avco Embassy, 1972
- Captain Cat, Under Milk Wood, Altura, 1973
- Liviu, Foxtrot (also known as The Far Side of Paradise andThe Other Side of Paradise), New World, 1975
- Robinson Crusoe, Man Friday, Avco Embassy, 1975
- Larry Martin, Rosebud, United Artists, 1975
- Colonel Zeller, Power Play (also known as Operation Overthrow,
State of Shock,
Coup d'Etat, and Le jeu de la puissance), Robert Cooper, 1978
- Emperor Tiberius Caesar, Caligula (also known as Caligula, My Son,
Caligola, and Io, Caligola), PAC, 1979
- Lord Chelmsford, Zulu Dawn, Warner Bros., 1979
- Eli Cross, The Stunt Man, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
- Alan Swann, My Favorite Year, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1982
- Voice of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet (animated), 1983
- Voice of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (animated), 1983
- Voice of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four (animated), 1983
- Voice of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear (animated), 1983
- Zaltar, Supergirl (also known as Supergirl: The Movie), TriStar, 1984
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Buried Alive, Aquarius, 1984
- Dr. Harry Wolper, Creator (also known as The Big Picture),Universal, 1985
- Governor Anthony Cloyden Hayes, Club Paradise, Warner Bros., 1986
- Reginald F. "R. J." Johnston, The Last Emperor (also known as Le dernier empereur and L'ultimo imperatore), Columbia, 1987
- Peter Plunkett, High Spirits, TriStar, 1989
- Professor Yan McShoul, On a Moonlit Night (also known as As Long As It's Love,
Claire,
Crystal or Ash, Fire or Wind, As Long As It's Love, and In una notte di chiaro di luna), 1989
- Cesar Valentin, Wings of Fame, 1990
- Prince Meleagre, The Rainbow Thief, 1990
- Voice of Pantaloon, The Nutcracker Prince (animated), Warner Bros., 1990
- Lord Willingham, King Ralph, Universal, 1991
- Major Lyautey, Isabelle Eberhardt, 1991
- Lord Sarn, Rebecca's Daughters, 1992
- Emil Saber, The Seventh Coin (also known as Worlds Apart),Hemdale Releasing, 1993
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Fairy Tale: A True Story (also known as Fairy Tale and Illumination), Paramount, 1997
- Dr. Timothy Flyte, Dean Koontz' Phantoms (also known as Phantoms), Dimension Films/Miramax, 1998
- Mr. Ravenscroft, The Manor, Falcon, 1999
- William Williamson, Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (also known as Damiaan and Father Damien), Unapix Entertainment, 1999
- Lord Foxley, Global Heresy (also known as Rock My World andAu coeur du rock), GFT Entertainment, 2002
- Colonel Blount, Bright Young Things, Icon, 2003
- Also appeared in Helena,
Hidden Talent,
The Pit and thePendulum, and Wings of Fame.
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Film Work
- (Uncredited) Associate producer, Lord Jim, Columbia, 1965
- Producer, Great Catherine, Warner Bros., 1968
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Television Appearances
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Miniseries
- Jim Larkin, Strumpet City, RTE, 1979
- General Cornelius Flavius Silva, Masada (also known as The Antagonists), ABC, 1981
- Sam Trump, John Jakes' Heaven and Hell: North and South, Book III(also known as Heaven and Hell: North and South, Book III and Northand South III), ABC, 1994
- Emperor of Lilliput, Gulliver's Travels, NBC, 1996
- Colonel Carey-Lewis, Coming Home (also known as Heimkehr and Rosamunde Pilcher--Heimkehr), 1998
- Bishop Cauchon, Joan of Arc (also known as Jeanne d'Arc), CBS, 1999
- President Paul von Hindenburg, Hitler: The Rise of Evil, CBS, 2003
- Augustus, Augustus (also known as Imperium), 2003
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Movies
- Captain Robert Thorndyke, Rogue Male, BBC, 1976
- Anton Bosnyak, Svengali, CBS, 1983
- Professor Henry Higgins, Pygmalion, Showtime, 1983
- Lama, Kim, CBS, 1984
- John Sidney Howard, Crossing to Freedom (also known as Pied Piper and The Red Piper), CBS, 1990
- Barry Newman, Civvies, 1992
- J. J. Curtis, The Final Curtain, Starz!, 2002
- Interviewee, AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains (also known as AFI's 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains: America's Greatest Screen Characters), CBS, 2003
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Specials
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Present Laughter, ABC, 1968
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Starring Katharine Hepburn, 1981
- Jack Tanner, Man and Superman, 1982
- Host, Is There One Who Understands Me? The World of James Joyce (also known as The World of James Joyce), 1982
- Himself and Zaltar, Supergirl: The Making of the Movie, ABC, 1985
- Uncle Silas Ruthyn, The Dark Angel (also known as Uncle Silas), BBC, 1988, then on Mystery!, PBS, 1991
- Himself, The 18th Annual American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Sir David Lean (also known as The American Film Institute Salute to David Lean), ABC, 1990
- "Peter O'Toole," South Bank Show, Bravo, 1993
- Clarence Earl of Emsworth, Heavy Weather (also known as P. G. Wodehouse's Heavy Weather), 1995, then on Mobil Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1996
- Interviewee, The Best of Hollywood (also known as 50 Years: TheBest of Hollywood), 1998
- Title role, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, 1999
- Interviewee, The John Thaw Story, 2002
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Awards Presentations
- Presenter, The 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 1981
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The 75th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2003
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Episodic
- Guest, The American Sportsman, 1982
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Monitor, NBC, 1983
- John Hampton, "Banshee," Ray Bradbury Theater, HBO, 1986
- Guest, "Wetten, dass...? aus Kiel," Wetten, dass...?, 1987
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Champlin on Film, Bravo, 1989
- Guest, Late Night with David Letterman, CBS, 1995
- Guest, TFI Friday, Channel 4, 1996
- "One More Time," The Education of Max Bickford, CBS, 2002
- Also appeared as first soldier, "A Tale of Two Pigtails," The ScarletPimpernel.
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Television Work
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Specials
- Producer and director, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, 1999
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Stage Appearances
- Cabman, The Matchmaker, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre,London, 1955
- Corvino, Volpone, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1955
- Peter Shirley, Major Barbara, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1956
- Duke of Cornwall, King Lear, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1956
- Hebert, The Empty Chair, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre,1956
- Bullock, The Recruiting Officer, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old VicTheatre, 1956
- Maupa, The Queen and the Rebels, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old VicTheatre, 1956
- Cardinal Malko Barberini, Lamp at Midnight, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1956
- Lodovico, Othello, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1956
- Baron Parsnip, The Sleeping Beauty, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1956
- Mr. Jaggers, Great Expectations, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old VicTheatre, 1957
- Alfred Doolittle, Pygmalion, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1957
- Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bristol Old Vic Company, OldVic Theatre, 1957
- Jimmy Porter, Look Back in Anger, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old VicTheatre, 1957
- Uncle Gustave, Oh, My Papa!, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1957, then Garrick Theatre, London, 1957
- The Angel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1957
- The General, Romanoff and Juliet, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old VicTheatre, 1957
- Mrs. Millie Baba, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Bristol Old VicCompany, Old Vic Theatre, 1957
- John Tanner, Man and Superman, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1958
- Title role, Hamlet, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1958
- Paddy, The Pier, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1958
- Jupiter, Amphitryon 38, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre,1958
- Private Banforth, The Long and the Short and the Tall, Royal CourtTheatre, then New Theatre, both London, 1959
- Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Statford-upon-Avon, England, 1960
- Petruchio, The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Statford-upon-Avon, 1960
- Thersites, Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Statford-upon-Avon, 1960
- Title role, Baal, Phoenix Theatre, London, 1963
- Title role, Hamlet, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1963
- Peter, Ride a Cock Horse, Piccadilly Theatre, London, 1965
- Captain Jack Boyle, Juno and the Paycock, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin,Ireland, 1966
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Pictures in the Hallway, Gaiety Theatre, 1966
- John Tanner, Man and Superman, Gaiety Theatre, 1969
- Vladimir, Waiting for Godot, Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1969
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Happy Days, Abbey Theatre, 1969
- Title role, Uncle Vanya, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre,1973
- D'Arcy Tuck, Plunder, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1973
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Judgement, Bristol Old Vic Company, 1973
- King Magnus, The Apple Cart, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1974
- Solo reader, Justice, Bristol Old Vic Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1974
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Dead-Eyed Dicks, Dublin Festival Theatre, Dublin, 1976
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Macbeth, Old Vic Theatre, 1978
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Present Laughter, Chicago, IL, 1978
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Man and Superman, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1982-1983
- Professor Henry Higgins, Pygmalion, Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1984
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The Apple Cart, Haymarket Theatre, 1986
- Professor Henry Higgins, Pygmalion, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1987
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Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford, England, then New York City, both 1987
- Title role, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, Apollo Theatre, London, 1989, then Shaftesbury Theatre, 1991
- Roger Piper, Our Song, The Apollo Theatre, London, 1992
- Title role, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, London, 1999
- Made stage debut at Civic Theatre, Leeds, England, 1949.
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Major Tours
- Roger Muir, The Holiday, British cities, 1958
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Present Laughter, Royal Alexandra Theatre, U.S. cities, 1978
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Uncle Vanya, Royal Alexandra Theatre, U.S. cities, 1978
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RECORDINGS
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Videos
- Himself, The Sinister Saga of Making "The Stunt Man," 2000
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Albums
- Contributor to various soundtrack recordings, including Dialogue Highlights from "Becket," c. 1964.
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WRITINGS
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Other
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Loitering with Intent (autobiography), Hyperion, Volume 1: TheChild, 1993, Volume 2: The Apprentice, 1997
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Books
- Freedland, Michael, Peter O'Toole, W. H. Allen and Co., 1983
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International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996
- O'Toole, Peter, Loitering with Intent (autobiography), Hyperion, Volume 1: The Child, 1993, Volume 2: The Apprentice, 1997
- Phillips, Sian, Private Faces: The Autobiography of Sian Phillips,Hodder & Stoughton, 1999
- Phillips, Sian, Public Places: The Autobiography of Sian Phillips,Hodder & Stoughton, 2001
- Wapshott, Nicholas, Peter O'Toole, New English Library, 1983
Periodicals
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Entertainment Weekly, April 13, 2001, pp. 32-39
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Guardian, March 19, 2003
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Newsweek, March 24, 2003, p. 54
Other
- "Peter O'Toole," South Bank Show (television special), Bravo, 1993
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