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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1965-movie-peter-otoole-wanted-to-delete-from-history-i-was-so-wrong-for-the-picture/
- Published: 2026-11-14T20:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T21:36:13+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1965-movie-peter-otoole-wanted-delete-from-history/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Peter O’Toole regretted playing Jim in the 1965 film.
- He said the Cambodian shoot was a nightmare.
- He never watched the finished film.

## Summary

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.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.