The 2004 co-star Diane Kruger couldn’t stand working with: “He’s dead, so I can say that”
Diane Kruger, approaching her 50th birthday with a 24-year acting career, discussed her experience working with veteran British actor Peter O'Toole on the 2004 historical epic Troy. In an interview, she characterised O'Toole as unpleasant due to his frequent intoxication and fixation on establishing his importance on set, despite his minor two-day role compared to her lead position as Helen of Troy. The production's challenging physical environment—requiring actors to climb approximately 100 stairs in extreme heat—proved particularly difficult for the elderly and heavily drinking O'Toole.
O'Toole's well-documented alcoholism followed him throughout his acting career, nearly proving fatal during the 1970s and requiring emergency medical intervention. Despite this struggle, he accumulated four Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and an Emmy among his many honours. Kruger's subsequent career has flourished, with recent acclaimed television work and upcoming film projects alongside established actors.
- Diane Kruger revealed Peter O'Toole was an unpleasant co-star on Troy (2004), citing heavy drinking and insistence on asserting his status
- O'Toole struggled with the film's physical demands despite having only a two-day role, whilst Kruger played the lead
- O'Toole's decades-long alcoholism nearly killed him in the 1970s and shaped his career alongside significant accolades