A new TG4 documentary on the legendary Peter O’Toole has revealed he said ‘stuff your Oscar’ when offered an honorary Academy Award.
Peter O’Toole – Réalta & Rógaire, a documentary airing on Christmas Day on TG4 at 9.25pm, chronicles the life of one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors.
Kate O’Toole, Peter’s daughter, revealed her father’s hilarious reaction when the Academy nominated him for his honorary Oscar.
The honorary Oscar has gone to movie legends including Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Orson Welles. Yet, O’Toole wasn’t ready to give up winning one for a singular role.
Kate explained: ‘He wrote out the speech saying “Stuff your Oscar, I want to win one, I don’t want to be given one for a lifetime, I’m still in the game.”‘
The Irish actor was nominated eight times at the Oscar’s during his career but lost out to the likes of John Wayne, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. The only actor with as many nominations without a win is Basic Instinct star Glenn Close.
Peter eventually changed his mind on taking the honorary Academy Award and had his award presented to him by Meryl Streep.
He said in his speech: ‘I wish the Academy to know that I am as delighted as I am honoured. And I am honoured. The magic of the movies enraptured me when I was a child; as I totter into antiquity, movie magic enraptures me still.’
The TG4 documentary chronicles the life and career from one the industry’s most respected performers of all time.
Containing family archive and interviews with his daughter Kate, friends and co-stars, including Supermodel, actress and singer Twiggy, the legendary actor Brian Blessed and Irish co-stars Bryan Murray, Jim Bartley and Mary Coughlan this is a documentary you don’t want to miss.
The Lawrence of Arabia star was proud to call Connemara his home and used it as a refuge from the pressures of Hollywood.
Full of fun stories of wild excess, brilliant movie anecdotes and essentially the story of a man longing to be Irish: Peter O’Toole – Réalta & Rógaire airs on TG4 on Christmas Day at 9.30pm.
