Peter O’Toole’s Hollywood Career: A Look Back

It’s no surprise that Variety raved about the Oscar-winning David Lean masterpiece “Lawrence of Arabia” and the young star at its center.

“Peter O’Toole, after three or four smallish, but effective, appearances in films, makes a striking job of the complicated and heavy role of Lawrence. This young Irishman, as and when the screenplay demands, skillfully handles Lawrence’s many moods. His veiled insolence and contempt of high authority, his keen intelligence and insight his gradual simpatico with the Arabs and their way of life, his independence, courage flashy vanity, withdrawn moments, pain, loneliness, fanaticism, idealism and occasional foolishness. O’Toole has a presence which will attract women tab buyers and convincingly builds up a picture of the Mystery Man. Spiegel’s gamble with this newish British screen actor has rousingly come off.” – Variety review, 1962

Variety wrote that, “as Henry II, Peter O’Toole emerges as the fatter role, and the more colorful to Richard Burton’s Canterbury archbishop. The king is an unhappy monarch who has known little affection in life. His only satisfying companionship has been provided by the Saxon Becket. Hating-loving, miserably lonely when deserted by his friend, O’Toole makes of the king a tormented, many-sided baffled, believable human being.”

Variety critics did not appreciate Peter O’Toole’s performance in Richard Brooks’ adaptation of the Joseph Conrad novel, writing that his performance was “self-indulgent and lacking in real depth.”

In this farce, with an original screenplay by Woody Allen, Peter Sellers is a Viennese professor to whom Peter O’Toole, editor of a Parisian fashion magazine, goes for psychiatric help in solving his women problems, which keep piling up as he finds more pretty girls. Sellers has a jealous wife and a roving eye which keeps getting him into trouble.

Peter O’Toole was nominated for an Oscar for his depiction of Henry II. Variety called the film “an intense, fierce, personal drama put across by outstanding performances of Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. “

Peter O’Toole was Oscar-nommed for  this MGM musical with Petula Clark, Michael Redgrave, George Baker, Michael Bryant and Sian Phillips.

By the ‘70s, O’Toole was one of the biggest stars in the business and working in every corner of the globe, tackling a range of challenges including the lead in a film adaptation of the hit musical, “Man of La Mancha.” Variety was a little cool on the picture, but as usual, high on the qualities of O’Toole’s performance. “Peter O’Toole enacts the dual role of Miguel de Cervantes and his classic character, a difficult assignment which actor undertakes with heroic overtones. O’Toole persuasively brings to life the demented would-beknight, whom the Spanish author created to ridicule the romancesof chivalry, endowing the part of Quixote with philosophic humanity and a flair forcomedy and serenity.”

From a story by Gore Vidal, Peter O’Toole, Malcolm McDowell and John Gielgud starred in director Tinto Brass’s depiction of first century Rome under syphilitic Tiberius and epileptic Caligula that demonstrated the unlimited baseness of the human condition.

My Favorite Year

“An enjoyable romp through the early days of television, My Favorite Year [from a story by Dennis Palumbo] provides a field day for a wonderful bunch of actors headed by Peter O’Toole in another rambunctious, stylish starring turn,” writes Variety of the film.

Peter O’Toole played Henry Higgins opposite Margot Kidder’s Eliza Doolittle in this TV movie based on the same source material as “My Fair Lady.”

In this summer blockbuster, Peter O’Toole played the old King Priam — who had fought many wars in his youth and didn’t need another one. Read Variety’s review.

Peter O’Toole followed up his Oscar-nommed turn in “Venus” by playing Pope Paul III on Showtime’s “The Tudors.”

Peter O’Toole voiced curmudgeonly critic Anton Ego in this Pixar hit.