1962: PETER O TOOLE on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA | Monitor | Classic Celebrity Interviews | BBC Archive

On location in Almeria, during a break in filming, Peter O' Toole is interviewed by fellow actor Kenneth Griffith for BBC Monitor. O' Toole discusses how he is tackling the demanding title role of T.E. Lawrence in director David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia.
Originally broadcast 25 November, 1962.
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[@benbergin538]

I love how this man went on to voice Anton Ego in Ratatouille. Such a legend. Love his work. R.I.P good sir

[@Jehovahsway]

A fabulous actor a very humble man with a beautiful voice ...watch him receive his honoury Oscar....perfect. They dont make actors like him anymore ❤

[@garryleeks4848]

What a great actor 👍

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Never won an Oscar though for some reason.

[@garryleeks4848]

@@hilaryepstein6013 That’s a shame

[@JosephusAurelius]

A very striking man

[@DenkyManner]

His interview with Dick Cavett reveals that he was a terribly shy man, racked by anxiety in interview situations, which is probably why he's talking to his friend here.

[@12classics39]

Yes. It really depended on the interviewer, in his case. In several interviews, he is clearly uncomfortable and nervous. But in his great interview with Robert Osborne toward the end of his life, he was much more at ease because Osborne was the greatest interviewer of all time, bar none.

[@mcrdl76]

@@12classics39 He seemed very comfortable here with this interviewer, maybe b/c he was also his friend

[@brianocallaghan7172]

completely agree at the heart of this acting genius was a very shy man who slipped easily into "other persona,s "as a means to camoflage his own

[@jezebeljones659]

This reveals more about how he approached playing Lawrence than anything else.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Fascinating interview. He was from a generation of extraordinary British stage and screen actors who made their names in the 50s and 60s. (Love that balcony too!)

[@The_Bookman]

Amazing bit of footage. Thanks ever so much for digging it up! I can't quite wrap my head around just how young he was back then.

[@robertacolarette1594]

This was wonderful. I adored this man. I’ve seen pictures of the real Lawrence and the resemblance is striking.

[@Missjunebugfreak]

His voice and his eyes are enchanting.

[@Marjorie-yt7pb]

😊 "breathaking"

[@andrewkulubi9919]

29, he walks like my grandfather

[@creatinotionchannel2680]

Wow did not know he was that young at the time

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

Yep, he was born on August 2nd, 1932 (he was born the same year that my late Grandpa John was). Filming on Lawrence of Arabia started on May 15th, 1961 and ended on September 21st, 1962. So he was 28 when filming started and had just turned 30 when it wrapped.

[@anneroy4560]

Lawrence was 5'6 as was Mr Churchill and Lord Admiral Nelson ... so really the best height to be ... O'Toole is wonderful ...

[@hellie_el]

what a wonderful treat! thank you very much.

[@SkizBoots]

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for posting this. I've always wanted to see the interview in it's entirety.

[@DerkleineTrojaner]

i`m 25 and he feels and looks atlleast 15 years older than me ^^

[@Johnconno]

We lived back then. X

[@thomsboys77]

@@Johnconnook bomber

[@12classics39]

Not only did Peter O’Toole give a fantastic, compelling performance in this film, he was also smoking hot in it. And I don’t mean hot because he was in the desert! 😍 and in two different interviews, 5 decades apart, he does the same little quirk, which is snapping his fingers while saying that something “clicked” for him. He does it at 4:07 here, and he also does it in his last public interview with Robert Osborne in 2011.

[@davidreid8075]

Great that Kenneth is there...x.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

89yrs old this year

[@garryleeks4848]

90 next year 🙄

[@mikebeatstsb7030]

8foot 5 ! The man's a giant !

[@shepard994]

Un souvenir hante un autre mais la roue avance avec la même vitesse

[@clawsewitz4316]

I love how at 8:40 he just picked a booger, rolled it up in a ball, and then threatened to eat it. The suspense just keeps building

[@mcrdl76]

Wtf?

[@user-zn3ip5sj8e]

"Come on me Beauties!!!! "

[@HolgerRuneFan]

God, he was gorgeous! I prefer him with the bleached blonde hair instead of his actual hair color which was light brown.

[@coreydolan3239]

Goodness he was a troublemaker. Read Brian Blessed’s autobiography. He has a few stories involving O’Toole.

[@280StJohnsPl]

Him, Oliver Reed and Richard Burton....what a trio that would be !

[@1275minicooper]

As a British born I love Peter o Toole but he could never be 29 years old in this interview

[@Tim_Weaver]

He was born in August 1932, and this interview took place in the summer of 1962, so yes he would have been 29 years old.

[@craftybookworm8280]

Yes, I thought he was older too, must be the cap😀

[@marioarias9942]

It’s the dry desert sun .

[@Setmose]

The smoking and the boozing is already aging him. Plus we are all subject to the genes we inherit.

[@highwaystar3780]

Looks even Older in Caligula

[@RyanJohnsonD]

Man, he chained smoked.

[@bethfiori4708]

"Not being the obvious choice" - yes, it's called acting.

[@spooneater9001]

4:25 "wtf is this manlet going on about?"

[@googoo5825]

Giggle 6:28 omg

[@Eire_Go_Deo]

Good ol’ Peter; always had a flat cap on and a cigarette in his mouth.

[@Johnconno]

O Toole was a man of unnatural appetites...

[@24macgregor]

Game recognizing game here…O’Toole is nice and toasty drunk during this interview. Like hyper-functional alcoholic drunk. One high-functioning storyteller to another.

[@abhishekbhattacharya770]

A মএস্ট্রো😅

[@iamx29]

It is my contention that Peter adeptly penetrated the essence of T.E. Lawrence's multifaceted character, delving into both its admirable and enigmatic facets with discerning insight. Moreover, Peter himself epitomized a life lived with unyielding authenticity, resolutely eschewing conformity in favor of personal integrity. His circle of companions, comprising luminaries such as Richard Harris, Richard Burton, and Oliver Reed, likewise embodied this ethos, unabashedly embracing their true selves without concession. Their literary oeuvres and autobiographical reflections stand testament to their profound intellect and cerebral acumen, revealing individuals who grappled with existential profundities and the transience of human existence. Indeed, their acute intelligence often led them to confront the inherent absurdity of life, recognizing its ephemeral nature within the cosmic expanse. Yet, within their existential contemplations, they exuded not only intellectual rigor but also a profound compassion and fervent zeal for life's myriad experiences. Thus, while their reputation may have been unfairly tarnished by narratives of excess and indulgence, a deeper inquiry reveals individuals of remarkable intellectual prowess and philosophical depth, whose legacy transcends mere caricature.

[@brianocallaghan7172]

this post is so well written and thought provoking.a very great deal of truth here wondrously described dare one say you could/should have joined them in company yourself

[@iamx29]

@@brianocallaghan7172 Thankyou!so generous and kind of you.

[@scottthompson7329]

Young men back in those days always looked older than their years... a level of maturity males of subsequent generations simply don't possess. The flies in that place...

[@peterkropotkin1158]

People aged worse back then because smoking and drinking was more socially acceptable back then not because of "maturity"