Peter O'Toole: The Definitive Biography

By Robert Sellers

Peter O'Toole was supremely talented, a unique leading man and one of the most charismatic and unpredictable actors of his generation. Described by Richard Burton as 'the most original actor to come out of Britain since the war', O'Toole regularly seemed to veer towards self-destruction.

With the help of exclusive interviews with colleagues and close friends, Peter O'Toole: The Definitive Biography paints the first complete picture of this much loved man and reveals what drove him to extremes, why he drank to excess and hated authority. But it also describes a man who was fiercely intelligent, with a great sense of humour and huge energy. Always insightful, at times funny, at times deeply moving, this is a fitting tribute to an iconic actor who made a monumental contribution to theatre and cinema.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Sep 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9780283072161

Robert Sellers

Robert Sellers is the author of more than ten books on popular culture, including Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down, Hellraisers, Hollywood Hellraisers, An A-Z of Hellraisers, as well as the definitve book on the genesis of the Bond franchise, The Battle for Bond, and the true history of Handmade Films, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

Reviews for Peter O'Toole

[mikalina_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"It distresses us to return work which is not perfect" was Peter O Toole´s choice for a headstone. He didn't have one. His ashes was scattered Eyrephort Beach near his home in Clifden. "You can´t deny it stands as a fitting epitaph", Robert Sellers ends his book about Peter O´Toole. And I agree - More than any other biography I´ve read about an artist, this book - to me anyway - lifts the veil and reveals the cost of great artistry. The dedication and hard work being the least - a prerequisite really to the one that aims at perfection without ever being satisfied,keeping the hunger going on until the end. The difference between workmanship and great artistry lies in the courage of facing your own naked self and the willingness to pay the prize of what it takes to find shelter from the uncovered self in between work. The courage to live with the raw, frail humanity needed if you are to expose and translate words into acting in a way that communicates through the medium, whether it be the stage or the screen. And never giving in. He had Shakespeare´s sonnets at his bedside to the end, recording a reading of them was a project he did not get the time to go through. They payed the prize - all of them - Burton, Harris, O,Toole. But then their best work will live on: I cannot really see any living artists matching Burton and O´Toole´s performance in "Becket".Robert Sellers` penmanship does not get in the way - as so often a biographer´s voice will - whenever the need to "analyze" the person they write about leads the reader down whatever road the author´s projections and speculations takes. Sellers gives us Peter O´Toole, and trusts the reader´s capability to see for themselves. Which is what makes this a great biography.

[knahs_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent bio of charismatic actor Peter O'Toole with a good mix of highlighting his career and the man himself. While he was somewhat of a loner, and many, including his wfie, found him hard to know, you still got an idea of what he was like personally. The book had a good filmography and some nice photos.