Hollywood lost one of its legends on Sunday when Peter O'Toole died at age 81. Best known for the titular role in 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia," O'Toole was the most-nominated actor in Academy Award history to never won a trophy. His eight recognitions were complemented by 11 Golden Globe nominations, an Emmy Award and four BAFTA Award nods.
O'Toole was blunt about his frustrations with the awards process. "No, it’s not," he told The New York Times in 2011 when asked whether simply being nominated was enough of an honor. "It’s a bore. I'm fed up. Second prize is no prize, thank you very much indeed."
The actor did earn an honorary Oscar in 2003, but O'Toole wasn't backing down. "Yeah. Honorary. Yeah. I don’t want to be honorary anything. I don’t mind earning something," he told the Times. "Come on, it’s a joke. It’s the biggest joke. Eight times? It’s impossible."
Still, O'Toole was graceful in his appreciation for the business as whole. He retired from acting last year, saying, "I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell."
The actor's words echo our sentiments in his passing. O'Toole's last years were quiet, but that doesn't detract from his stalwart presence throughout much of the 20th century. Here's a look back at a handful of his most iconic roles.
"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)
"Becket" (1964)
"How to Steal a Million" (1966)
"The Lion in Winter" (1968)
"Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969)
"The Ruling Class" (1972)
"Man of La Mancha" (1972)
"The Stunt Man" (1980)
"My Favorite Year" (1982)
"The Last Emperor" (1987)
"Troy" (2004)
"Venus" (2006)
"Ratatouille" (2007)
What's your favorite O'Toole movie? Let us know in the comments.
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