The 1965 movie Peter O’Toole wanted to delete from history: “I was so wrong for the picture”

Peter O’Toole later regretted starring in *Lord Jim*, the 1965 adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novel, saying he was wrong for the role and that another actor might have done it better. The film followed the success of *Lawrence of Arabia* and *Becket*, but its troubled production and O’Toole’s disappointment with his performance made it a project he wanted to forget.

Filmed in Cambodia, the shoot was marked by heat, insects and political tension; O’Toole described it as “sheer hell” and said he left shortly before British and American embassies were burned. He had hoped to play Jim as a quiet, guilt-ridden figure, but felt his performance lacked the force such a role needed. He never watched the finished film and later wondered whether taking a less predictable role, such as Eli Wallach’s character, might have been a better choice.