81-year-old legend of the "Silver Screen" who skyrocketed to fame for his role as the main character in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962, Irishman, Peter O'Toole, passed away after a long illness on Saturday.

Prior to a successful film career, the hard-drinking O’Toole won national acclaim at the Bristol Old Vic in Bristol and acquired the nickname, “Untamed Lion of King Street.” He played over 50 roles at that theatre.

O’Toole would be nominated for an Oscar eight times, and never won one for a film role. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2003. He would, throughout his career, win four Golden Globes, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award and an Emmy. He was nominated for his first Oscar for his role in Lawrence of Arabia but lost out to Gregory Peck that year for Peck’s work in “Atticus Finch.”

Born in 1932, O’Toole was never sure of his exact birthdate, and had two birth certificates, one from Connemara, Ireland and one from Leeds, England. The Irish certificate lsited June as his birthdate, and his English certificate posted an August day of birth.

O’Toole, born to a book-maker, would start his career as a journalist before joining the military. Right after that, he would go into theatre, joining the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Saying that he had been fulfilled emotionally as well as financially, O’Toole retired from the silver screen one month before his 80th birthday, but would continue on with his theatrical career, and write the third volume of his memoirs.

In a statement following the actor’s death, O’Toole’s daughter, Kate, said in a statement that the family was overwhelmed by “the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time. … In due course there will be a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished.”