Life and Career of Peter O'Toole Quiz

Answer: journalist

He started as a newspaper copy boy, and progressed to become a reporter before he discovered his love of the theatre. His father was a bookie, and O'Toole spent two years in the Royal Navy, without ever considering it as a prospective career.

Answer: all of these

Albert Finney was David Lean's first choice for the role of T. E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1965). Finney turned it down, choosing instead the title role in "Tom Jones".

Alan Bates and O'Toole were both scholarship students to RADA. Bates starred in "Zorba the Greek" (1964) with Anthony Quinn, who had featured in "Lawrence of Arabia" as Auda abu Tayi.

Richard Harris and O'Toole were close friends. Following Harris's death, many members of his family wanted O'Toole to take over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the third "Harry Potter" movie, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

Answer: False

O'Toole did earn the first of at least seven Oscar nominations for his portrayal of T. E. Lawrence, but it was not his film debut. He first appeared in "The Savage Innocents" (1959), although he had his name removed from the credits when the editors insisted on dubbing his voice. Before "Lawrence", he had also been seen in the Disney film "Kidnapped" (1960) and in "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England." None of these roles gained enough attention to prevent his selection for the part of Lawrence, a role in which director David Lean wanted to cast an 'unknown' actor.

The part was first offered to Albert Finney, who turned it down because the time commitment seemed excessive. Katherine Hepburn was instrumental in the subsequent casting of O'Toole.

Answer: Although critically acclaimed and nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the film did not win any Oscars.

In 1965, "Becket" received an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Edward Anhalt's screenplay was based on Jean Anouilh's play.

Peter O'Toole received an Oscar nomination for his role, at the time making him the only actor to be nominated for playing the same characted in two movies which were not sequels. He also played Henry II in "The Lion in Winter" (1968), with Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Sian Phillips was married to O'Toole for 20 years, and this was the first of a number of films involving both of them, including "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "Murphy's War" (1971) and "Under Milkwood" (1972), a production that also featured Richard Burton.

Answer: private investigator

Never have O'Toole's brilliant blue eyes been so heavily featured on-screen! This very funny film featured him as Simon Dermott, a private investigator who had been asked to determine whether Charles Bonnet was an art forger or not. Caught investigating a painting after breaking into the Bonnet household, he was assumed by Bonnet's daughter (Hepburn) to be a thief.

When they desperately needed to 'steal' their own (forged) 'Cellini Venus' from a museum before the insurance appraisers discover the forgery, she enlisted O'Toole to assist.

The heist was clever, and the dialogue sparkling - a gem of a film!

Answer: The Three Angels

This billing has always tickled my fancy. John Huston was Noah, The Serpent, The Voices of God, AND The Narrator. The part of Cain was played by O'Toole's pal Richard Harris.

Answer: Fox Trot

"Fox Trot" (1976) was a disturbing drama set on an island during World War II.

"Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) was a musical remake of the classic James Hilton story of a dedicated schoolteacher, Arthur Chipping. It also starred Petula Clarke.

"Man of La Mancha" (1972) saw O'Toole taking the part of Don Quixote / Miguel Cervantes previously portrayed by Richard Kiley in the Broadway production.

"The Ruling Class" (1972) gave O'Toole the chance to play an insane English earl, a task he completed with gusto.

Answer: False

O'Toole was known as a hard drinker, along with his friends Richard Harris and Richard Burton, and this certainly contributed to his health problems in the mid to late '70s. However, the root cause of his illness was stomach cancer, for which he underwent surgery in 1976. Coupled with a blood infection the following year, this slowed him down considerably, but he still went on to make some excellent films.

Answer: David Lean

While all of these distinctive directors have directed O'Toole, David Lean, who directed O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), was said to have been the inspiration for the megalomaniacal Cross.

Woody Allen wrote and directed "What's New, Pussycat" (1965); John Huston directed "The Bible" (1966); Otto Preminger directed "Rosebud" (1975).

Answer: Alan Swann

Captain Tom Cat was O'Toole's character in "Under Milkwood" (1972); he played Jack Gurney, the 14th Earl of Gurney, in "The Ruling Class" (1972); Larry Martin was the undercover agent hired to track down the terrorists in "Rosebud" (1975).