When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.
Peter O'TooleRead
It is time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage. The heart for it has gone out of me: it won't come back.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a decision to retire due to a loss of passion for acting.
Peter O'Toole reflects on his choice to withdraw from his career in films and theater, indicating that he no longer feels the passion that once drove him to perform. This resignation signifies a personal turning point, suggesting that he acknowledges his changing desires and the inevitability of stepping away from something that has defined much of his life.
Themes
RetirementPassionActingCareerChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech during a retirement ceremony, someone might quote O'Toole to emphasize the importance of recognizing when to step back.
More from Peter O'Toole
All quotes βNo one should ever know where conduct ends and acting begins. Conduct unbecoming. That's what acting is.
Peter O'TooleRead
I put steam on the table by being an actor. That is how I live. The longer I live, the more expensive it becomes. So I do my work. And I can't be immensely picky. How many beautiful scripts come in one's lifetime? I have had more than anybody, practically.
Peter O'TooleRead
A few years back I was asked if I would go and meet a director and his various acolytes, and it occurred to me halfway through the meeting that what I was doing was auditioning. And I thought, 'Well, hang on buddy. I've done half a century of this.'
Peter O'TooleRead
I have no intention of uttering my last words on the stage. Room service and a couple of depraved young women will do me quite nicely for an exit.
Peter O'TooleRead
Acting is just being a man. Being human. Not forcing it.
Peter O'TooleRead
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