Irish actor.
After National Service in Britain as a radioman in the Royal Navy, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1952–1954).
He began getting work in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company, before making his television debut in 1954 and a very minor film debut in 1959.
O'Toole's major break came when he was chosen to play T.E. Lawrence in David Lean's 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962). His performance introduced him to U.S. audiences and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. After 'Lawrence of Arabia', O'Toole received six more nominations for the Best Actor Oscar but never won the award in competition. In 2003, the Academy honoured his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award for his lifelong contribution to film.