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January 12, 2007
The Peter O'Toole Appearances
Peter O'Toole was finally well enough to come across the pond this week and is doing the rounds in New York.
Until this morning, I have kept the issue to myself, since he has looked very frail and very scripted. On Letterman, he did 8 minutes, much of which had him laughing with style and brio in the way people do when they can't really hear what you are saying and want to appear engaged.
On The Daily Show, he was a little stronger, though when Jon Stewart went off script and noodled, it was mostly clear that O’Toole couldn’t figure out what he was trying to hear.
In both cases, a few good oft-time-told Peter O’Toole stories go a long way. And neither of those two interviewers has much of an idea of how to help a guest tell their story. So these slots were okay, but a little off-putting.
However, this morning on The View, O’Toole was awake and engaged for the first time I have seen him on this round of chats. He spent a full 15 minutes on set, the first time he has stayed for two segments on any of these shows. And in his answers, you could actually see the Peter O’Toole we know and love. It really showed in the small beats. After Walters brought up the fact that he had been nominated so many times and not won and then O’Donnell said there was a lot of talk about him getting nominated this year, he twinkled and said, “I heard.” And then he added, clearly on his own whim, “… the only 8 time loser in the history of the Academy.” That’s O’Toole.
There were no “throw back your head and appear to laugh” moments. When Joy Behar asked a question based on pre-interview that he didn’t pick up on, he leaned over and scanned her card. And for the first time, he had that lilting downtone he gets on the second syllables of words, when he announced his liquor of choice, “whisss-key.”
When it worked around to a Walters question about whether he was having a relationship with someone in their 20s now, O’Toole did a whole run of talking about a JuJube in his mouth, the offering them to the ladies of The View, avoiding the question in a wonderful comedic turn.
This is not really all that surprising for a person dealing with ill health as they age. There tend to be periods of great energy and bad periods every day. And it is hardly unusual for morning to be the time where the energy is its best. If I were on his team, I would be looking to morning shows and places he can do taped pieces. He should do a Jay Walking segment, taped in the morning for Leno and then do 5 minutes on the couch… leave them wanting more and give them your best energy. Sam Rubin & Dorothy Lucey should get the benefit of this in L.A. next week. Get an early call time for Sunday Morning Shootout.
If he can keep this up, take a few weeks off and then do it again in late January, he will be very hard to beat on Oscar night indeed.
Posted by poland at January 12, 2007 11:03 AM
Comments
Wouldn't it be neat if they actually just voted for the person they felt gave the best filmed performance in a given year?
Posted by: Melquiades ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 12, 2007 01:35 PM
Then they should vote for Daniel Craig!
Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 12, 2007 02:00 PM
Certainly the ball-smashingest performance of the year (take that, Borat).
Posted by: jeffmcm at January 12, 2007 02:25 PM
I don't like what O'toole is doing. He needs to go back to England and live with the fact that he's an 8 time loser. His agent probably got to him and told him to fight fight like hell.
Posted by: Chicago48 at January 12, 2007 02:56 PM
Peter O'Toole is Irish, not English He wouldn't have needed an agent to tell him to fight.
Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 12, 2007 03:03 PM
I was at the Letterman taping on Wednesday and was overcome with sadness watching O'Toole struggle out there. I think he came off as best as could be hoped for when the cameras were on, but in the break he was clearly exhausted and barely mobile, nearly taking a spill trying to go shake Paul's hand. This is a frail, ailing man who should not be doing live or live-to-tape television, but is pushing his limits to make the appearances because he knows it's his only shot at the gold.
I don't begrudge the man his desire to win a Best Actor trophy. But this is one of the times when reality sets in and it becomes bothersome that this legendary actor can't win the prize simply by excelling in the particular field that the award is supposed to represent. He has to perform in an arena in which he holds an extreme disadvantage. Again, it's nothing we haven't known about this game all along. But still, it's a shame.
Posted by: Dunderchief at January 12, 2007 03:07 PM
Do you know what a gentleman is, Dunderchief? Let me enlighten you. A gentleman is a man who would never have written your last post.
Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 12, 2007 03:28 PM
If a gentleman is someone who lacks compassion for another human being and turns a blind eye to the absurdities that the publicity machine puts a great talent to, then you are correct, Ian.
Posted by: jeffmcm at January 12, 2007 03:51 PM
Jeff, a gentleman is a man who would not share in public their witnessing of someone else'e distress. The word to describe the person you are talking about is "agent."
Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 12, 2007 03:57 PM
While I agree with you in terms of the abstract principle, the truth is that O'Toole is a public figure and his distress on Letterman was already suspected as per DP's origial posting; Dunderchief is merely confirming what was suspected by many. Personally, I would rather know the full truth, sad though it be, than have a fiction perpetrated by the media-industrial complex.
An 'agent' is someone who would cover up the truth for the advancement of his own career using any tool at his disposal, including feigned discretion.
Posted by: jeffmcm at January 12, 2007 04:32 PM
There are few nudities so objectionable as the naked truth, as Agnes Repplier said. And you are again incorrect, as the correct term for "someone who would cover up the truth for the advancement of his own career using any tool at his disposal, including feigned discretion" is "publicist."
Posted by: Ian Sinclair at January 12, 2007 04:41 PM
Agent, publicist, that's splitting hairs.
Again, I agree with you in principle but in practice, if O'Toole is going to put himself into the public spotlight, he has to be prepared for how he will be seen. Also, Dunderchief, as an audience member of the show, is perfectly within his rights to report on what he saw. If he was a crew member on the show, he would have a professional obligation to remain discreet. But he was merely an eyewitness to small glimpse of what, again, was already fairly obvious.
Posted by: jeffmcm at January 12, 2007 05:19 PM
Let us please never associate Peter O'Toole with the Jaywalking segment on Jay Leno ever again.
Posted by: James Leer at January 12, 2007 05:52 PM
I guess there'll be a lot of sympathy votes for O'Toole but for me the film was totally underwhelming, and the performance was whatever. It would be a total shame if O'Toole gets a token nod over Ryan Gosling's amazing performance, which I imagine even the old man would admit was a revelation. It would be especially ashame if it was the result of campaigning, as DP implies, but I guess that is the way game works.
Posted by: The Carpetmuncher at January 12, 2007 06:04 PM
"Lawrence" is still one of my top three movies of all time, so anytime I hear about an interview in print or live etc I try to catch it, but I was feeling bad/guilty to see what a hard time he was having.
If the Drink didn't kill him this interview circuit will. The lighting alone is debilitating him!
He was already passed over for better perfs than what is on the table at present, but i'll be shocked if he isn't nominated.
Posted by: Lota at January 12, 2007 08:06 PM
Just checking in after my initial post and seeing the comments from Ian and jmc. Obviously my initial thinking when posted was along the lines of jmc's perspective rather than Ian's. It was really a reaction to the idea that O'Toole should be making more appearances like his stint on The View. My feeling is that he shouldn't be making ANY appearances. But unfortunately, if he wants this trophy, he can't affort to not make them.
As for the accusation that I was in someway undignified by recounting my observation of the Letterman taping, would it have made any difference if there were no cameras rolling? If this was just an appearance by O'Toole at a theater filled with 300-plus audience members, and he seemed to be ailing, would it be ungentlemanly if I were to recount what I saw?
Year after year I watch the campaigning process in advance of the Academy Awards and brush it off as part of the game. It was a real shock to see first hand how unfair and cruel that game is, particularly when it is could be detrimental to the health and well-being of a much-loved public figure.
Posted by: Dunderchief at January 12, 2007 09:08 PM
Isn't Peter O'toole a little late campaigning. The nom ballots were out last week. I don't like him as an actor, I'm not too warmed about a lot of Brit actors (exc Daniel Craig and Michael Cain). Richard Burton and Olivier were overrated and inconsistent in their performances IMO. I like the Aussies better.
Posted by: Chicago48 at January 14, 2007 07:26 AM
The previous blogger should kindly note that Peter O'Toole is Irish, not British. He was born in Ireland; his father was an Irish bookie. I believe O'Toole still lives in Ireland. Any person with a drop of Irish blood does not want to be mistaken for a Brit. As for his performance this year, it was quite lovely and certainly deserving of an Oscar given the Academy's sorry and inconsistent history in granting these awards. Anyone who doesn't think Peter O'Toole is a great actor must have never seen LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Didn't Premiere magazine vote it the greatest performance of all time on film??!!
Posted by: Heidala at January 23, 2007 10:40 AM
The previous blogger should kindly note that Peter O'Toole is Irish, not British. He was born in Ireland; his father was an Irish bookie. I believe O'Toole still lives in Ireland. Any person with a drop of Irish blood does not want to be mistaken for a Brit. As for his performance this year, it was quite lovely and certainly deserving of an Oscar given the Academy's sorry and inconsistent history in granting these awards. Anyone who doesn't think Peter O'Toole is a great actor must have never seen LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Didn't Premiere magazine vote it the greatest performance of all time on film??!!
Posted by: Heidala at January 23, 2007 10:40 AM
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