Peter O'Toole receiving an Honorary Oscar®

now I have the great honor of introducing Meryl Streep I loved her performance in the ours it really made me think and for that I will never forgive her here's one of America's finest actresses Meryl Streep someone wasn't said the more praise a man is willing to take the less he probably deserves whoever said that must have been insane oh there's no it whoever said that must have been had the ever reluctant and as such deeply deserving recipient of tonight's honorary Oscar award in mind Peter O'Toole was nominated for the Oscar he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor a lucky seven times and like many of our best was overlooked on every every occasion he was overlooked but far from unnoticed bursting on the screen on a screen that could barely contain him he played the title role in David Lean's magnificent Lawrence of Arabia with with fierce grace and extraordinary ease Noel Coward remarked on this accomplishment if you had been any prettier it would have been florence of arabia classically-trained he returned to the stage again and again he played 50 roles in four years at the Old Vic alone and he was one of the great Hamlet's he was also well cast as Kings in a dazzling array of film performances after praying playing Henry the second and Becket opposite his friend Richard Burton he reprised the role opposite Katharine Hepburn in the line in winter even real Kings don't get a second chance like that he's had a strong run of gentlemen with titles and delusional dreamers in such films as Man of La Mancha and Caligula man Friday and Lord Jim's fan galley and the last emperor in the ruling class he plays a man who thinks he's God in the stuntman he plays a man who doesn't think he's God he knows he's God in other words a film director and in the hilarious and touching my favorite year he sums it all up in a rollicking performance as a great swashbuckling movie actor who's terrified of acting he even gets to deliver the actor's mantra dying is easy comedy is hard and with a golden voice that lifts Guild's and animates ordinary words and the light in his eyes if he'd swallowed the pale blue moon Peter O'Toole's gift has beguiled us for 40 years ladies and gentlemen Peter O'Toole Meryl Streep members of the Academy distinguished guests viewers ladies and gentlemen always a bridesmaid never a bride my foot I have my very own Oscar now to be with me to death us do part I wish the Academy to know that I was delighted as I am honored and I am honored the magic of the movies enraptured me when I was a child as I taught her into antiquity movie magic in raptures mr. having already bagged this baby as it were and so spared uncertainties prior to the opening of an envelope I'm able to think I think of our colleagues our old friends now gone who played their parts in this ceremony I think of the sumptuous talent alive and well and with us now I think of the astonishing young the gifted enable young men and women who I meet practically every time I go to work and from whom I grab energy in handfuls I think of the United States and all the loves and friendships I've known here for more than half a century and of how much the nation has given to me both personally privately and professionally I'm deeply thankful and now at this last you give me this delightful shock your very good good night and God bless you you

Channel: Oscars

Views: 1,501,506

Rating: 4.8652668 out of 5

Keywords: Oscars, 75th, Academy, Awards, Peter, O'Toole, Meryl, Streep, Steve, Martin, Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Becket, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year

Id: Wt564HJ_Irg

Length: 6min 57sec (417 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 29 2010

Reddit Comments

[u/Damn8ti0n]

Those Sleeves tho!....