In January 2003 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their decision to bestow upon Peter O’Toole their Lifetime Achievement Oscar. Far from chuffed about it, he told them to get lost. Here was an actor who over the course of his career had received seven nominations for Best Actor without a single win, a record he shared with Richard Burton. ‘Can you believe it,’ says his Stunt Man co-star Steve Railsback. ‘He had all those nominations and not a single win! And some of the most brilliant performances we can ever see.’
They do say it’s an honour just to be nominated. Well, for O’Toole it wasn’t, not any more. ‘It’s a bore. I’m fed up. Second prize is no prize, thank you very much indeed.’ And that’s how he felt about this ‘honorary Oscar’ farrago. It sounded too much like a consolation prize and they could stick it. He didn’t exactly put it like that, instead declaring in a note to the Academy that he was ‘Still in the game and might win the lovely bugger outright.’ And so he asked, ‘Would the Academy please defer the honour until I am eighty?’
Somewhat affronted, the Academy’s board of directors replied, ‘We unanimously and enthusiastically voted you the honorary award because you’ve earned and deserved it.’ The show’s producer went further, branding O’Toole ‘silly’ for not attending the ceremony. Not half as silly as the Academy failing seven times to give the man a proper Oscar.
Some of those closest to O’Toole shared the Academy’s disbelief – how could he turn it down, no one had refused an honorary Oscar before. Others got it completely, it was behaviour perfectly in keeping with his rebellious spirit. The Academy weren’t giving up, though, and over the course of the next few weeks sent letters and made enquiries, until finally, perhaps fed up, delivered an ultimatum, that on such and such a date the offer would be withdrawn. ‘So in the end he changed his mind, somewhat at the last minute,’ says Johnnie Planco, who represented O’Toole in America. ‘He had talked to a lot of people, those whose opinions he respected, and they’d said, are you crazy not to do this! So he agreed to attend the ceremony and flew his son Lorcan and his daughter Kate out there. It was a special night.’
Of course, having left it so late all the best hotels in Los Angeles were booked solid and he ended up staying at the Le Montrose, a popular hangout for musicians just off the Sunset Strip, but not the sort of establishment normally reserved for a star of O’Toole’s standing.
The ceremony on 23 March was taking place under controversial circumstances. Just days earlier America had invaded Iraq and several actors had resigned from their roles as presenters citing safety concerns and respect for military families. Broadcaster ABC had even tried to postpone proceedings, but the show went on with thousands of anti-war protesters gathered outside the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. None of this seemed to affect O’Toole, who was taking everything in his stride. ‘He had the whole of the Oscar people both at rehearsal and on the night in the palm of his hand,’ confirms Planco. ‘Because he was always so calm. He wasn’t excited about, oh it’s the Oscars! He remained composed and calm the whole evening.’
There was one tricky moment when he was led into the hospitality room and sauntered over to the bar to ask for a drink. ‘We have lemon juice, apple juice, orange juice, or still or sparkling mineral water.’ O’Toole looked at the barman as if he was speaking a foreign language. ‘No, I want a drink.’ The barman shook his head. The Oscars enforced a strict no-alcohol policy. O’Toole’s face went ashen. ‘All right, I’m fucking off.’ Oscar officials managed to placate the star and a bottle of vodka was smuggled into the building.
To present the award the Academy had chosen Meryl Streep. The two actors hardly knew each other but their respect for one another’s talent was obvious to see. O’Toole later let slip that as they stood backstage waiting to go on Meryl was desperate for a cigarette. ‘I wanted a joint. In the end I just got the vodka going because she’s a game girl. Likes a drop. The trick at those Oscar awards is to stay sober, because the evening goes on for-ev-er.’
After an amusing and celebratory speech by Meryl, followed by a montage of film clips, O’Toole walked onto the stage to a standing ovation from the cream of Hollywood. For now all the refusals and denials and recriminations were forgotten. Holding the Oscar in his hand he accepted the honour with grace and class. ‘Always a bridesmaid, never a bride … my foot,’ he started. ‘I have my very own Oscar now to be with me till death us do part.’ Mind you, he still had every intention of winning ‘the lovely bugger outright’.