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Revisiting Shakespeare's Sonnets With Peter O'Toole
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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
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It's time for me to chuck in the sponge. That's how the legendary actor Peter O'Toole began a statement announcing that he's retiring from films and stage at age 79. O'Toole, who famously played Hamlet, King Henry II and Lawrence of Arabia, among dozens of roles, wrote this: It's my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one's stay. So I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell.
BLOCK: Well, that news sent me back to an interview I did with Peter O'Toole five years ago. We talked about how he first got into acting in the '50s. He'd been serving in the Royal Navy.
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BLOCK: And so a career was born. Now, speaking of poetry, the most memorable part of our conversation had to do with Shakespeare; in particular, with Shakespeare's sonnets.
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(LAUGHTER)
BLOCK: And you're going to remember that last couplet as soon as you leave the studio, I know.
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: And yet I believe my love more fair than any she belied with false compare. There.
BLOCK: Done.
: Not a very good couplet, is it?
(LAUGHTER)
: That's probably why I can't remember it.
BLOCK: I love that, Robert. Now, ready for the part of this that really still makes me smile?
SIEGEL: This doesn't make you smile already?
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BLOCK: They all make me smile, but I love this part in particular.
SIEGEL: All right.
BLOCK: Are you ready?
SIEGEL: Yes.
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(LAUGHTER)
BLOCK: I love that.
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(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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