Peter O'Toole

In 1959, he married Welsh actress Siân Phillips, with whom he had two daughters, Kate and Patricia. The couple got divorced in 1979.

O'Toole and his girlfriend, model Karen Brown had a son, Lorcan, who is also an actor.

After battling a long illness, O'Toole died at the age of 81 in a London hospital on December 14, 2013.

O’Toole was born on 2nd August 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. He grew up in Leeds, England. His father, Patrick worked as a race course bookmaker. He had an elder sister Patricia.

He attended St. Joseph’s secondary school in Leeds.

In his early teens, he left school and ended up working for the ‘Yorkshire Evening Post’ as trainee journalist and photographer. He held several positions at the newspaper before quitting journalism once for all.

After his stint in journalism, he was called by Royal Navy for his national service. He worked as a signaler in the navy.

After completing his national service in the Royal Navy, O’Toole joined the famed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1952 to 1954. His classmates there included Albert Finney and Alan Bates.

He began his career on the stage with the ‘Bristol Old Vic Theater’. Before long, he established himself as a gifted actor, he was especially known for his portrayal of the title character in Shakespeare's ‘Hamlet’.

He made it to the big screen in 1960, playing small roles in the films ‘The Savage Innocents’, ‘Kidnapped’ and ‘The Day They Robbed the Bank of England’.

In 1962, he was hired by director Sir David Lean to play the title character in the drama ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

The following year, O'Toole demonstrated his range as an actor with leading roles in ‘Lord Jim’, a drama based on the novel of the same name and the Woody Allen comedy ‘What's New Pussycat?’.

In 1962, he was hired by director Sir David Lean to play the title character in the drama ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. Making this critically praised project proved to be a physically and emotionally grueling process, as it took two years to film and was shot in seven different countries. But O'Toole's hard work paid off: He was nominated for an Academy Award in ‘Best actor’ category for his portrayal of ‘T.E. Lawrence’ in the film. Though he didn't win this honor, the movie took home the ‘Oscar for best picture’. The role introduced him to US audiences. T. E. Lawrence, portrayed by O'Toole, was selected in 2003 as the tenth-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute.

With the success of Lawrence of Arabia, O'Toole became an international film star. He picked up his second Oscar nomination for his turn as ‘King Henry II’ in ‘Becket’ (1964), in which Richard Burton played the title role. He also won Golden Globe Award for this role.