Despite being well-known for his lead part in "Lawrence of Arabia" the actor had gone on to do many more roles (wikimedia/creative commons)

Peter O’Toole, known for his star role in the classic 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia, passed away on Sunday. It was known that he had overcome stomach cancer in the 1970's, but had been diagnosed with an illness for quite some time before his agent gave a confirmation of his passing.

O’Toole lived to be 81 and was nominated for eight Oscars before being given an honorary Academy award in 2003. He had only recently announced his retirement from acting in 2012.

From The Guardian: 

“He said his career on stage and screen fulfilled him emotionally and financially, bringing him together "with fine people, good companions with whom I've shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits."

Many have paid their respects to the actor, starting with Michael Higgens, the president of Ireland, and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron. “"He was unsurpassed for the grace he brought to every performance on and off the stage," Higgens, a personal friend, said.

O’Toole was also known at the start of his career for bringing a dirtier, rougher side to Hollywood. In his words, “We did in public what everyone else did in private then, and does for show now. We drank in public, we knew about pot.”

The O'Toole family announced there will be "a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished", but until then they would like to be allowed to grieve privately.

Read the full story here. 

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