Do the math

From the trivia section:

Although Peter O'Toole plays the father of Anthony Hopkins, John Castle and Nigel Terry, he is only five, seven and thirteen years older than them respectively. Moreover, O'Toole is twenty-five years Katharine Hepburn's junior but plays her husband. It should be noted, however, that there was quite a substantial age gap between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine - she was approximately eleven years his senior. At the time frame set for this film, Christmas 1183, Eleanor of Aquitaine, born 1122, would have been 61 years old, as played by Katherine Hepburn, who was born May 12, 1907, also 61 years old at the time of production (1968). Henry II, born March 5, 1133 was 50 years old during Christmas 1183, as played by Peter O'Toole, born August 2, 1932, only 35-36 at the time of production, approximately 15 years younger than the character he was playing.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063227/trivia?tab=tr&item=tr0683175

So I'd say O'Toole is the odd one out, but with his weathered look it's no problem at all.



Icheckmovies http://www.icheckmovies.com/profile/rick220/

This happens all the time in movies.

Usually, these days, you have female characters being played by impossibly young actresses purely for sex-appeal.

I remember when Hamlet was remade with Mel Gibson in the lead and Glenn Close played his mother. Of course, Gibson was too old to be Hamlet and Close was about the same age as Gibson. I heard an interview with Close and when she was asked about it she reminded the interviewer that In "the World According to Garp" she played Robin Williams mother even though they were about the same age.

God, can't believe I am invoking Mel Gibson in a discussion that involves Peter O'Toole...



Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

Who gives a sh!t about the ages of the performers?

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

It's all about acting. And O'Toole acted fifty. Anyone else couldn't have gotten away with it, but he did. He was very believable playing older, I bought his performance completely.