reporter: that film gave o toole his big break and made him an international sensation and got him his first nomination for an academy award. if you oppose me i ll strike you anywhere i can. reporter: admittedly a heavy drinker his taste for alcohol not only threatened his career but also his life. he managed to give up the drink and mounted a comeback as a crazed director in the stunt man. it screws you up! reporter: a self-described entertainer by trade, o toole mocked his own image as an alcoholic over the hill matinee idol in my favorite year, a performance that earned him his seventh oscar nomination. ah! reporter: though he made some regretability films through the 80s such as 1984 super girl o toole continued to work appearing in several made-for-tv films including joan of arc. i know a good deed without all of that, but this work is every bit as important as the other. reporter: in 2003, the academy of motion pictures arts