The personal archive of legendary actor, Peter O'Toole, has been acquired by the Harry Ransom Centre at the University of Texas, in Austin, for €373,000 ($400,000).
This rich and varied collection of memorabilia includes letters, scripts, audio recordings and photographs, as well as the unpublished third volume of his memoirs, Loitering With Intent.
"Peter O’Toole was one of the most talented actors of stage and screen on either side of the Atlantic," said Eric Colleary, Curator of Theatre & Performing Arts at the Ransom Center. "People might be surprised to see his incredible talent with words in performance extended to dozens of published and unpublished writing projects represented in the archives. He was a brilliant writer, and his two published memoirs aside, this is an aspect of Peter O’Toole the world hasn’t yet seen."
The treasure trove comes in 55 boxes - containing a number of costumes and props, including the sword used during the National Theatre’s 1963 production of Hamlet – and, once it has been processed and catalogued, it will be put on public display at the university in Texas.
"It is with a respect for the past and an eye to the future that I recognise the importance of making my father’s archive accessible and preserving it for future generations," said the actor’s daughter, Kate O’Toole. "Thanks to the nature of film, my father’s work has already been immortalised."
"The Ransom Center now provides a world-class home for the private thoughts, conversations, notes and stories that illuminate such a long and distinguished career."
O’Toole’s screen career lasted over half-a-century; his breakthrough came in David Lean’s 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, where he played the role of British adventurer TE Lawrence.
During a remarkable forty-four year period, he received eight Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his performances in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favourite Year (1982), and Venus (2006).
However, he never managed to win the coveted Oscar for these roles, which amounted to a record number of failures. Each year the likes of Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, John Wayne and Robert De Niro took the golden statue home instead of him.
In 2002, this was remedied as he was awarded an honorary Oscar by the Academy in recognition of his body of work and his contribution to film.
His stage life was just as vibrant. One personal highlight came in 1969 when he played the role of Vladimir in Waiting for Godot alongside Donal McCann at the Abbey’s first production of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece.
Peter O’Toole died in 2013 at the age of 81 after a protracted illness; his ashes were spread outside his beloved Clifden in Connemara where he had lived for some time. In his memoirs, he claimed that he had been born in Galway, though this fact is often disputed.
What is undeniable, though, is the affinity the actor felt for the West of Ireland where he spent many years with friends including President Michael D. Higgins.
O’Toole is in good company at the Harry Ransom Center, the University of Texas currently houses the archival collections of such luminaries as Stella Adler, Robert DeNiro, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Tom Stoppard and David Foster Wallace.
