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Quiz about Life and Career of Peter OToole
Quiz about Life and Career of Peter OToole

Life and Career of Peter O'Toole Quiz


This is a survey of interesting facts about one of my favorite actors.

A multiple-choice quiz by looney_tunes. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
looney_tunes
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
228,893
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
607
Last 3 plays: Guest 184 (4/10), Guest 174 (3/10), Guest 192 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Peter Seamus O'Toole was born on August 2, 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and was raised in Leeds, England. What was his first choice of career? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. After leaving the Navy, Peter O'Toole attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in order to pursue his passion for acting. Which of the following actors was a classmate at RADA? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "Lawrence of Arabia" was Peter O'Toole's first film role, and earned him an Academy Award nomination.


Question 4 of 10
4. Peter O'Toole's second major film was "Becket", in which he played King Henry II. Which of the following statements about this film is FALSE? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In 1966, Peter O'Toole made a lightweight comedy/caper flick with Audrey Hepburn, called "How to Steal a Million". What was his character's occupation in the film? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. John Huston directed "The Bible" (1966). What was Peter O'Toole's role in this epic? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which of the following was NOT a musical starring Peter O'Toole? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In the late 1970s, Peter O'Toole's career was interrupted, and nearly ended, because of his problem with alcohol.


Question 9 of 10
9. In "The Stunt Man" (1982), Peter O'Toole played a movie director named Eli Cross. On which of his previous film directors was he said to have based his histrionic performance? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "My Favorite Year" (1982) saw O'Toole in another over-the-top performance as a dissolute, aging matinee idol who was now better known for his drinking than for his acting. What was this character's name? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Feb 21 2024 : Guest 184: 4/10
Feb 11 2024 : Guest 174: 3/10
Feb 08 2024 : Guest 192: 5/10
Feb 05 2024 : harveysh: 1/10
Feb 01 2024 : Guest 126: 4/10
Jan 29 2024 : shuehorn: 7/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Peter Seamus O'Toole was born on August 2, 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and was raised in Leeds, England. What was his first choice of career?

Answer: journalist

He started as a newspaper copy boy, and progressed to become a reporter before he discovered his love of the theatre. His father was a bookie, and O'Toole spent two years in the Royal Navy, without ever considering it as a prospective career.
2. After leaving the Navy, Peter O'Toole attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in order to pursue his passion for acting. Which of the following actors was a classmate at RADA?

Answer: all of these

Albert Finney was David Lean's first choice for the role of T. E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1965). Finney turned it down, choosing instead the title role in "Tom Jones".

Alan Bates and O'Toole were both scholarship students to RADA. Bates starred in "Zorba the Greek" (1964) with Anthony Quinn, who had featured in "Lawrence of Arabia" as Auda abu Tayi.

Richard Harris and O'Toole were close friends. Following Harris's death, many members of his family wanted O'Toole to take over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the third "Harry Potter" movie, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".
3. "Lawrence of Arabia" was Peter O'Toole's first film role, and earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Answer: False

O'Toole did earn the first of at least seven Oscar nominations for his portrayal of T. E. Lawrence, but it was not his film debut. He first appeared in "The Savage Innocents" (1959), although he had his name removed from the credits when the editors insisted on dubbing his voice. Before "Lawrence", he had also been seen in the Disney film "Kidnapped" (1960) and in "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England." None of these roles gained enough attention to prevent his selection for the part of Lawrence, a role in which director David Lean wanted to cast an 'unknown' actor.

The part was first offered to Albert Finney, who turned it down because the time commitment seemed excessive. Katherine Hepburn was instrumental in the subsequent casting of O'Toole.
4. Peter O'Toole's second major film was "Becket", in which he played King Henry II. Which of the following statements about this film is FALSE?

Answer: Although critically acclaimed and nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the film did not win any Oscars.

In 1965, "Becket" received an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Edward Anhalt's screenplay was based on Jean Anouilh's play.

Peter O'Toole received an Oscar nomination for his role, at the time making him the only actor to be nominated for playing the same characted in two movies which were not sequels. He also played Henry II in "The Lion in Winter" (1968), with Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Sian Phillips was married to O'Toole for 20 years, and this was the first of a number of films involving both of them, including "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "Murphy's War" (1971) and "Under Milkwood" (1972), a production that also featured Richard Burton.
5. In 1966, Peter O'Toole made a lightweight comedy/caper flick with Audrey Hepburn, called "How to Steal a Million". What was his character's occupation in the film?

Answer: private investigator

Never have O'Toole's brilliant blue eyes been so heavily featured on-screen! This very funny film featured him as Simon Dermott, a private investigator who had been asked to determine whether Charles Bonnet was an art forger or not. Caught investigating a painting after breaking into the Bonnet household, he was assumed by Bonnet's daughter (Hepburn) to be a thief.

When they desperately needed to 'steal' their own (forged) 'Cellini Venus' from a museum before the insurance appraisers discover the forgery, she enlisted O'Toole to assist.

The heist was clever, and the dialogue sparkling - a gem of a film!
6. John Huston directed "The Bible" (1966). What was Peter O'Toole's role in this epic?

Answer: The Three Angels

This billing has always tickled my fancy. John Huston was Noah, The Serpent, The Voices of God, AND The Narrator. The part of Cain was played by O'Toole's pal Richard Harris.
7. Which of the following was NOT a musical starring Peter O'Toole?

Answer: Fox Trot

"Fox Trot" (1976) was a disturbing drama set on an island during World War II.

"Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) was a musical remake of the classic James Hilton story of a dedicated schoolteacher, Arthur Chipping. It also starred Petula Clarke.

"Man of La Mancha" (1972) saw O'Toole taking the part of Don Quixote / Miguel Cervantes previously portrayed by Richard Kiley in the Broadway production.

"The Ruling Class" (1972) gave O'Toole the chance to play an insane English earl, a task he completed with gusto.
8. In the late 1970s, Peter O'Toole's career was interrupted, and nearly ended, because of his problem with alcohol.

Answer: False

O'Toole was known as a hard drinker, along with his friends Richard Harris and Richard Burton, and this certainly contributed to his health problems in the mid to late '70s. However, the root cause of his illness was stomach cancer, for which he underwent surgery in 1976. Coupled with a blood infection the following year, this slowed him down considerably, but he still went on to make some excellent films.
9. In "The Stunt Man" (1982), Peter O'Toole played a movie director named Eli Cross. On which of his previous film directors was he said to have based his histrionic performance?

Answer: David Lean

While all of these distinctive directors have directed O'Toole, David Lean, who directed O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), was said to have been the inspiration for the megalomaniacal Cross.

Woody Allen wrote and directed "What's New, Pussycat" (1965); John Huston directed "The Bible" (1966); Otto Preminger directed "Rosebud" (1975).
10. "My Favorite Year" (1982) saw O'Toole in another over-the-top performance as a dissolute, aging matinee idol who was now better known for his drinking than for his acting. What was this character's name?

Answer: Alan Swann

Captain Tom Cat was O'Toole's character in "Under Milkwood" (1972); he played Jack Gurney, the 14th Earl of Gurney, in "The Ruling Class" (1972); Larry Martin was the undercover agent hired to track down the terrorists in "Rosebud" (1975).
Source: Author looney_tunes

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nannanut before going online.
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