Peter O’Toole at 80: The best drinking stories

UK Yahoo ^ | August 2, 2012 | Orlando Parfitt

[beaversmom]

Acting legend Peter O'Toole is 80 years old! The thesp with the piercing eyes scooped a whopping eight Oscar nominations during a glittering career for the likes of 'Lawrence Of Arabia, ' The Lion In Winter' and 'Venus'.

He was also awarded a lifetime achievement Academy Award in 2003 (he initially turned it down, famously saying "I want to win the lovely bugger outright"). He's now retired, but his CV is remarkable. O'Toole is not just renowned for his monumental acting talent though. He's also infamous for his hellraising antics, along with fellow luvvies Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter Finch and Oliver Reed. Before ill health forced him to cut down on his drinking, the actor's boozy shenanigans were legendary.

Here's some of the best Peter O'Toole stories we could find… most are true, a few could be urban legends.

While filming 'Lawrence Of Arabia', O'Toole organised a date for Omar Sharif with "sex-swap pioneer" April Ashley. When Sharif found out that, um, all was not as it appeared, he chased O'Toole around the house with a meat cleaver.

Famously, O'Toole once went out for a drink in Paris… and woke up in Corsica. He's confirmed this actually happened.

He also loved climbing. His party piece was drunkenly scrambling up the wall of Lloyd's Bank in Covent Garden. He used to scale it in his "Sunday shoes".

Richard Burton and O'Toole both said they were drunk throughout most of the shooting of 'Becket'. The pair were still awarded Oscar nominations.

While shooting 'The Lion In Winter', O'Toole cut off the top of his finger in a boating accident. He popped the finger in some brandy he was drinking, before pushing it back into place and wrapping with a bandage. Three weeks later he took the bandage off, and found he'd...

[beaversmom]

Peter O'Toole made it to 80 today. Happy b-day Mr. O'Toole.

Read more O'Toole mischief at link, plus video referenced in story here:

Peter O'Toole Delivers Lines That Are Plainly Beneath Him

[knarf]

bump for after the olympics

[1rudeboy]

Famously, O'Toole once went out for a drink in Paris… and woke up in Corsica. He's confirmed this actually happened.

I don't care what anyone says, that rocks.

[luvbach1]

Glad he made it to 80 and wish him more years. He’s looked old for at least 15 years so alcohol must have preserved him.

[mamelukesabre]

I had to look up Richard Harris because I thought I remembered him dying a year or two ago and wanted to be sure.

TEN YEARS AGO!!!

WTH happened to the time???

[beaversmom]

Young O’toole and Orson Welles and others discuss Hamlet. I’m not familiar with what they are talking about sad to say, but it sounds terribly interesting:

Orson Welles and Peter O’Toole discuss Hamlet - 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=97R83-KMhhc

[beaversmom]

Wow, dead and gone for 10 years. I hope Peter’s got some good years still ahead of him even if he has truly given up acting.

[mamelukesabre]

The only times I’ve ever woken up and wondered where the hell I am is when I went to sleep on my own bed with my feet where my head normally goes and my head where my feet normally go.

[mylife]

RIP Richard Harris.

[beaversmom]

Excellent interview of Peter O’Toole with Charlie Rose from 2000:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/3343

[Martin Tell]

ping for later. Looks like interesting stories...

[Yardstick]

Well, we can’t all live the lives of the stars I guess.

[Vince Ferrer]

Ladies Only

[beaversmom]

Peter O’Toole Explains His Erratic Behavior on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” — 1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuhHThAaymQ

[fieldmarshaldj]

"O'Toole once went out for a drink in Paris… and woke up in Corsica."

Was she hot ?

[mylife]

His last performance was in 2002, the year he died.
It was in the Excellent 2002 ver of The Count of Monte Cristo.
The entire film can be seen on youtube though the light levels are dark in the youtube copy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRy5SEXUgtA

[beaversmom]

Peter O’Toole on Letterman - The Late Show in London (Pt.1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K561m7Nq7kk&feature=relmfu

Peter O’Toole on Letterman - The Late Show in London (Pt.2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fl3bOeXvyI&feature=relmfu

[beaversmom]

One of my favorite O’Toole movies and a funny scene. You think with being such a fan I would have seen more, but I really haven’t seen enough of his films.

[beaversmom]

O’Toole getting an honorary Academy Award. Total class.

Peter O’Toole - Academy Honorary Award (2003) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fl3bOeXvyI&feature=relmfu

[beaversmom]

O’Toole and Harris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOU3gDncP4k&;