Peter O'Toole

Peter Seamus O'Toole (2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British-born actor of Irish and Scottish descent. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company, before making his television debut in 1954.

He first appeared on film in 1959 in a minor role in The Day They Robbed the Bank of England. O'Toole's major break came when he was chosen to play T. E. Lawrence in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962), after Marlon Brando proved unavailable and Albert Finney turned down the role. His performance was ranked number one in Premiere magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.[14] The role introduced him to U.S. audiences and earned him the first of his eight nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.