Peter O’Toole Retires From Acting

Peter O’Toole is retiring from acting.

The 79-year-old actor, who has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, announced today that he will “chuck in the sponge.”

O’Toole said:

“Dear All… It is time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage. The heart for it has gone out of me: it won’t come back. My professional acting life, stage and screen, has brought me public support, emotional fulfillment and material comfort. It has brought me together with fine people, good companions with whom I’ve shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits. However, it’s my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one’s stay. So I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell…. Ever, Peter O’Toole.”

O’Toole earned his first Oscar nomination for playing the lead in Lawrence of Arabia in 1962. Since then, he earned nominations for Becket in 1964, The Lion In Winter in 1968, Goodbye In Mr. Chips in 1969, The Ruling Class in 1972, The Stuntman in 1980, My Favorite Year in 1982, and Venus in 2007.

O’Toole never won an Oscar but was given an Honorary Award in 2003. The Academy wrote: (Peter O’Toole’s) remarkable talents have provided cinema history with some of its most memorable characters.”

According to IMDB, O’Toole has two projects in production; Katherine of Alexandria and Mary Mother of Christ. It’s unclear of O’Toole will pull out of these productions.

Reuters reports that the legendary actor will now spend his time working on the third volume of his memoirs.

Are you a fan of Peter O’Toole? What’s your favorite movie starring O’Toole?