How Peter O’Toole got his ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ role
David Lean’s 1962 epic historical drama Lawrence of Arabia is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made. With Peter O’Toole in the lead role as the British army officer T.E. Lawrence and some of the most impressive cinematography in the history of cinema, Lean’s film is well-deserving of its widespread acclaim.
Charting Lawrence’s experience in the Ottoman regions of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War, Lawrence of Arabia focused on the emotional struggle the army officer faced as his allegiance to Great Britain was put to the test following his comradeship with the many tribes of the Arabian desert.
The brilliance of the film primarily comes down to O’Toole’s magnificent performance, which is all the more impressive considering the fact that he had barely featured in any movies by the time the 1960s rolled around. The Leeds-born actor had come through the ranks in the theatre, gaining recognition on the stage for his Shakespearean efforts at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company.
Between 1954 and 1958, O’Toole played in King Lear, Othello, Pygmalion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet and Waiting for Godot in Bristol, which eventually led to high demand for him in motion pictures. He subsequently made his first forays in the film world with efforts in Kidnapped, The Savage Innocents and The Day They Robbed the Bank of England, but they would pale in insignificance to what came next.
O’Toole would forever be immortalised in the pantheon of all-time greats with his performance in Lawrence of Arabia, but he might never have gotten the chance to prove his talent in the film. It appeared that David Lean was keen on casting a relatively unknown actor for Lawrence‘s lead role and had originally chosen Albert Finney for the job, although he was fired after just two days of principal photography.
Perhaps there was an air of needing an actor with more star power because Marlon Brando was said to have been offered the role, as were Anthony Perkins and Montgomery Clift. However, Lean had been impressed with O’Toole’s performance in The Day They Robbed the Bank of England and contacted the actor to come to London for a chat.
O’Toole had to contend with the fact that Sam Speigel was producing Lawrence, though, as the two had never got on previously. When O’Toole gave his screen test as Lawrence, Lean pronounced, “This is Lawrence!” Speigel was not keen on O’Toole taking the lead role, but Lean stuck to his guns and beliefs and convinced the producer to take a chance on the actor.
Accepting the role, O’Toole proceeded to deliver one of the most memorable efforts in the history of cinema, spending two years in the desert to make the genuine masterpiece historical epic. O’Toole’s piercing blue eyes became synonymous with the very character of Lawrence, and he repaid the faith that Lean put in him many times over.
There’s a deep intensity and obsessive quality to O’Toole’s version of Lawrence, and he accurately depicts the moral and emotional torrent that rages within him during his time in the Arabian desert. There’s often an element of fate when it comes to an actor’s journey to their most famous role, and when it came to O’Toole and Lawrence of Arabia, it felt like nothing could get in the way of greatness.