--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never met Peter O'Toole, but he one was…" description: "\"I never met Peter O'Toole, but he one was of those rare actors whose success was defined by a single role. His incandescent performance in David Lean's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/michael-korda-2925_actor_i-never-met-peter-o-toole-but-he-one-was_1900798.png" --- # I never met Peter O'Toole, but he one was of those rare… ![“I never met Peter O'Toole, but he one was of those rare actors whose success was defined by a single role. His incandescent performance in David Lean's 'Lawrence of Arabia' is one that nobody who saw it will ever forget.” quote by Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/michael-korda-2925_actor_i-never-met-peter-o-toole-but-he-one-was_1900798.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/michael-korda-2925_actor_i-never-met-peter-o-toole-but-he-one-was_1900798.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a42/michael-korda-2925_actor_i-never-met-peter-o-toole-but-he-one-was_1900798.png) > “I never met Peter O'Toole, but he one was of those rare actors whose success was defined by a single role. His incandescent performance in David Lean's 'Lawrence of Arabia' is one that nobody who saw it will ever forget.” [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor can become forever linked to one iconic role, shaping public memory of their career. **In simple terms:** One role can define an actor's legacy. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of signature performances. Themes legacy typecasting cinema iconic roles Mood thoughtful appreciative Type historical analytical When to use this quote - Film studies - acting workshops - career retrospectives Key Concepts Cultural memory career impact Questions to Reflect On - How does a single role affect an actor’s future? - Can an actor break free from a defining role? A Different Perspective Actors may be limited by such typecasting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Arabia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arabia/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Lawrence of arabia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawrence-of-arabia/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Like so many Boomers, I saw 'Lawrence of Arabia' in 1962 when it was first released and when we were young teenagers. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/like-so-many-boomers-i-saw-lawrence-of-arabia-in-1962-when-it-was/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [I have never connected with 'Gone With the Wind.' 'Lawrence of Arabia' leaves me cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/i-have-never-connected-with-gone-with-the-wind-lawrence-of-arabia/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [I'll never know what my life would have been like if they hadn't made Lawrence of Arabia. What would I be? I would maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-ll-never-know-what-my-life-would-have-been-like-if-they-hadn-t-made/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [I can't see any reason why a dramatic story can't be in 3-D. I think 'Lawrence of Arabia' would have been fabulous in 3-D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zemeckis/i-can-t-see-any-reason-why-a-dramatic-story-can-t-be-in-3-d-i-think/) [Robert Zemeckis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zemeckis/) > [The funny thing is that I'm the girl who no one sees at the beach. Ask anyone who's traveled with me. Normally, I'm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/the-funny-thing-is-that-i-m-the-girl-who-no-one-sees-at-the-beach-ask/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/lawrence-of-arabia-british-beatlemania/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > ['Lawrence of Arabia' is a film that anyone wanting to become an actor should watch at least six hundred times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-haig/lawrence-of-arabia-is-a-film-that-anyone-wanting-to-become-an-actor/) [Sid Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-haig/) > [Lawrence of Arabia is the ultimate movie, deeply cinematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/lawrence-of-arabia-is-the-ultimate-movie-deeply-cinematic/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [I can't imagine David Lean justifying why he went to the desert to shoot 'Lawrence of Arabia.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-can-t-imagine-david-lean-justifying-why-he-went-to-the-desert-to/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I've been on camels before, lumbering slowly through the desert - not hugely exciting, but I enjoyed the 'Lawrence of Arabia' vibe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-bruce/i-ve-been-on-camels-before-lumbering-slowly-through-the-desert-not/) [Fiona Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-bruce/) > [I love to look at The Graduate, or Lawrence of Arabia, or things I had nothing to do with. But you could not get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-katzenberg/i-love-to-look-at-the-graduate-or-lawrence-of-arabia-or-things-i-had/) [Jeffrey Katzenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-katzenberg/) > [They chose me for Lawrence of Arabia because I spoke English, had black hair, black eyes and a moustache. It was all luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/they-chose-me-for-lawrence-of-arabia-because-i-spoke-english-had/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [Well, the first thing I wanted to be was a carpenter. Then I wanted to be a painter and then a singer. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pitt/well-the-first-thing-i-wanted-to-be-was-a-carpenter-then-i-wanted-to/) [Michael Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pitt/) > [I happen to be one of those rare actors that actually loves very intelligent and well-acted science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hatch/i-happen-to-be-one-of-those-rare-actors-that-actually-loves-very/) [Richard Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hatch/) > [It's so rare, actors who are not vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-kekilli/it-s-so-rare-actors-who-are-not-vain/) [Sibel Kekilli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-kekilli/) ## More by Michael Korda > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [In 'Gran Torino,' Eastwood moves towards the climax of the movie not by staging a shoot-out, but by putting his weapons to one side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/in-gran-torino-eastwood-moves-towards-the-climax-of-the-movie-not-by/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Some people are so famous that the legends about them and the cultural aftermath of their life altogether obscure the real human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/some-people-are-so-famous-that-the-legends-about-them-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The advice I would offer to any writer is that even when you think you have revised your book to the point where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-advice-i-would-offer-to-any-writer-is-that-even-when-you-think/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Citizens of Rome might boast that the claim of 'Civus romanus sum' set them apart from barbarians and slaves, and it was true up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/citizens-of-rome-might-boast-that-the-claim-of-civus-romanus-sum-set/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Concentration is the magic key that opens the door to accomplishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/concentration-is-the-magic-key-that-opens-the-door-to-accomplishment/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Luck can often mean simply taking advantage of a situation at the right moment. It is possible to make your luck by being always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/luck-can-often-mean-simply-taking-advantage-of-a-situation-at-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Nothing is more difficult than to recreate in all its complexity than a distant age, and not only to get it right but make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/nothing-is-more-difficult-than-to-recreate-in-all-its-complexity-than/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The American system demands success, and in order to succeed we must first believe that we can. Yet our society, with its intolerance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-american-system-demands-success-and-in-order-to-succeed-we-must/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [In my experience, with very few exceptions - I am, as it happens, one of the exceptions - the one thing that most editors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/in-my-experience-with-very-few-exceptions-i-am-as-it-happens-one-of/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [We British and Americans have never been conquered and occupied by the Germans, or forced to make the choice between defiance and collaboration, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/we-british-and-americans-have-never-been-conquered-and-occupied-by/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Ronald Reagan had a kind of shallow movie-star charisma - a combination of makeup and the skill of a good actor - but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/ronald-reagan-had-a-kind-of-shallow-movie-star-charisma-a-combination/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [An ounce of hypocrisy is worth a pound of ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/an-ounce-of-hypocrisy-is-worth-a-pound-of-ambition/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [The men who died at D-Day did not die shoulder-to-shoulder with their French comrades. They died to liberate the French from a sinister and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/the-men-who-died-at-d-day-did-not-die-shoulder-to-shoulder-with-their/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/one-way-to-keep-momentum-going-is-to-have-constantly-greater-goals/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) [Explore all 145 Michael Korda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! 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