Oscar-winning actor Peter O’Toole has died at the age of 81, it emerged tonight.
The film legend died at the Wellington hospital in London yesterday after a long illness, his agent Steve Kenis announced.
O’Toole shot to fame in the Oscar-winning epic Lawrence of Arabia and recently starred in Venus.
He is survived by two daughters – Kate and Patricia – and a son, Lorcan Patrick O’Toole.
In a statement released earlier, Kate O’Toole said:
‘His family are very appreciative and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts.
‘In due course there will be a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished. We will be happy to speak to you all then but in the meantime if you could give Peter O’Toole the respect he deserves and allow us to grieve privately we’d appreciate it. Thank you all again for your beautiful tributes – keep them coming.’
“Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre,” Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement.
Last year, O’Toole announced he was stopping acting. As reported by The Guardian, he said: “I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell.”
It was reported last month he had been coaxed out of retirement to star in a film about ancient Rome called Katherine of Alexandria.
