Peter Seamus O'Toole was a British-Irish stage and film actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest of his generation. He was one of Hollywood’s most highly respected actors. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company before making his film debut in The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1959). He was best known for his iconic portrayal of T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He continued to act in artistically acclaimed films as well as commercially successful projects. Throughout his career, he received eight Academy Award nominations, making him the most nominated actor never to win. During the 1970s, severe medical problems threatened his career and life, but he survived by giving up alcohol. After undergoing extensive medical treatment, he made a triumphant return to film. He announced his retirement from acting in 2012. He passed away in London on December 14, 2013, at the age of 81.