reporter: was one of the greats. simply an icon towards the end of his life continued to wow audiences with his screen pressen. born peter seamus o toole in ireland in 1932, his adolescence spent in england with his proposal debut on the london stage in 1955. from the west end, o toole quickly transitioned from the stage to the silver screen. his appearance in 1962 s lawrence of arabia catapulted him to worldwide stardom and earned him his his oscar nomination. lawrence was the beginning of a spectacular string of successful films during the 1960s. including a another oscar nomen ated performance opposite katharine hepburn in the lion in winter. 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