Peter O’Toole, the veteran actor best known for starring in Lawrence of Arabia, died on Saturday. He was 81.

Peter O'Toole Dies

O’Toole, who’d been suffering from an ongoing illness, passed away in a hospital, according to his agent Steve Kenis. "Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre," Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement.

The 1950s were when O’Toole, who started out on the stage, began to pick up both TV and film roles. His first major film part came in 1962, playing the title role of T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia. O’Toole was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the film – and would later receive seven more Oscar nods.

In addition to Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole was nominated for his acting in The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982) and Venus (2006). Although O’Toole never won the Oscar for any one part, Meryl Streep presented him with an honorary trophy in 2003 for his impressive body of work.

"His family are very appreciative and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time," daughter Kate O'Toole said in a statement following the announcement of her father’s passing. "Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts."

"In due course there will be a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished," she added. "We will be happy to speak to you all then but in the meantime if you could give Peter O'Toole the respect he deserves and allow us to grieve privately we'd appreciate it."

O'Toole is survived by his three children – daughters Pat and Kate O'Toole and son Lorcan O'Toole.

– Chelsea Regan

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