Producers of the Academy Awards have appealed to Peter O’Toole to accept the honorary gong they want to give him. The 70-year-old actor, who has never won an Oscar despite being nominated seven times, previously asked the Academy to give the statuette to someone else.
The ceremony’s producer Gil Cates said he was "surprised" to hear the Irish star wanted to defer the honour until he reaches 80. Peter said it was because he was "still in the game and might win the lovely bugger outright".
The awards boss pointed out, however, that accepting the prize would not preclude him from winning best actor in the future. "I wish I were friendly enough with him to call him on the phone and say, 'Awfully silly - you should really take it and your career will be what your career will be,'" said Gil.
"If he doesn't appear on the show nothing will happen and he will pick up the Academy Award when he wants to,” he added. "If he does appear on the show we'll prepare a suitable piece to honour him. I have a feeling that it's going to resolve itself probably this week - he'll either say he'll be there or he won't."
The honorary Oscar usually forms a central part of the evening’s proceedings, with a montage of the star’s finest film moments and tributes from friends and industry peers.
Academy President Frank Pierson has also given assurances that the award is for "achievement and contribution to the art of the motion picture, not for retirement".
In 1987 Paul Newman received the same award, and said: “I hope that my best work is down the pike, ahead of me and not behind." The following year, he won best actor for The Color of Money.
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