Trivia of Peter O'Toole
Trivia of Peter O'Toole (2 August 1932 - 14 December 2013)
*Son of a Scottish nurse, and an Irish football player, he claimed he was not certain of his birthplace or date.Stating in his autobiography that he accepted 2 August as his birth date but had birth certificates from England and Ireland.Records from the Leeds General Registry Office confirm he was born at St James's University Hospital in Leeds, Yorkshire, England on 2 August 1932.
*Won his career-making part in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) after it was turned down by superstar Marlon Brando and Albert Finney.Allegedly Brando said he didn't want to spend two years of his life riding on a camel.Finney was put through extensive screen-tests costing 100,000 pounds, but refused to sign a seven year contract demanded by producer Sam Spiegel. O'Toole signed the seven-year contract and got the part.
*He went to America with actor Omar Sharif for the film premiere of Lawrence of Arabia. The night before the opening Peter took Omar to see Lenny Bruce in a show after which they went back stage to see Lenny then all went out for drinks. After a while Lenny said he had to go home for a few minutes so they accompanied him. As Lenny was giving himself a drug injection the police broke in and arrested them all. At the police station Omar asked to make a phone call and rang producer Sam Spiegel who eventually got them released.
*He was almost cast as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1964) due to concerns that Rex Harrison was too old for the part, but his salary demands were more than producer Jack L. Warner was willing to pay.
*During his career as actor, he portrayed three kings, one of them twice (King Henry II in Becket (1964) also in The Lion in Winter (1968)), one of them fictional (Sir/King Cedric Willingham in King Ralph (1991)) and King Priam in Troy (2004).
*O'Toole played rugby league as a child in Leeds and was also a rugby union fan, attending Five Nations matches with friends and fellow rugby fans Richard Harris, Kenneth Griffith, Peter Finch and Richard Burton. He was also a lifelong player, coach and enthusiast of cricket.
*Allegedly declined a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for political reasons in 1987.Although never confirmed, it is believed the reason he declined because O'Toole campaigned heavily against the British involvement in the Vietnam War.
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