It is with great sorrow that I reflect upon the death of one of showbiz's greatest actors. Peter O'Toole. For those of you who might have missed it, Mr. O'Toole passed away on December 14, 2013. He is one of the few actors who was always great, no matter the quality of the film. Whether it was "Lawrence of Arabia", or the lesser-known "Lion in Winter." Besides fond remembrances of his work, his death has brought an unsettling revelation to this humble blogger; the quick and steady march of time. It will come as no surprise to everyone experiencing this linear existence of ours that the passing of time is inevitable. But with the death of Peter O'Toole the consequences of this have become all too real to me. Not only have we lost a man, but we have lost a bank of valuable experience, knowledge, and first-hand accounts of some of the greatest works in cinema. Although we still have the benefit of the work he helped produce, the thought and the meaning behind so many great performances is now gone. Roy Batty at the end of Blade Runner come to mind.
With the death of Peter, we have one less account of 3 years spent in the desert making Lawrence of Arabia, shooting Lion in Winter in France, My Favourite Year, and so on. With O'Toole we are one step closer to losing personal touch with a generation. All is not lost however we still have his work, shining like a beacon beckoning us back to so many achievements of the past. IF you haven't seen them make sure that you watch: Lawrence of Arabia Becket (also starring the magnificent Richard Burton) My Favourite Year The Stunt Man and...Venus There are also a plethora of interviews of O'Toole available online and I suggest you watch them. Aside from his incomparable abilities as an actor. Peter was well known for his exploits off stage. One of my great regrets that I have is that I never partied with Peter O'Toole. On that note I will close with this clip from David Letterman where Peter O'Toole reveals so much of his joie de vivre.
"It distresses us to return work that is not perfect."
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