Remember the movie Troy? Brad Pitt starred as Achilles, Orlando Bloom was Paris, Eric Bana was Hector (ROWR), Peter O’Toole was Priam and Diane Kruger was Helen of Troy. It actually did have a great cast and it did well at the box office, but the film was not all that great. Apparently, it wasn’t a great experience for Diane Kruger either. Diane and Norman Reedus interviewed each other for Buzzfeed to promote their new movie, and Diane ended up throwing some major shade on the late Peter O’Toole. Keep in mind… O’Toole was 71 years old around the time that they were filming Troy, and he had been a life-long hellraiser and drunk. And Kruger was somewhat surprised to find him drunk and exhausted.
Diane on her worst costar: “You know who wasn’t very pleasant, was Peter O’Toole…It kind of sucked. He’s dead, so I can say that. But he wasn’t the most pleasant person. He was just a drunk, and Peter O’Toole. You know, he had a two-day part, and I played Helen of Troy and he was Peter O’Toole, and he just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that he was Peter O’Toole. And he could barely make it up the stairs. We were on a set that was – you know, you have to climb, like, I don’t know, 100 steps to go up. He was just – first of all, everybody thought he was gonna die right there and then. Because it was, you know, 120 degrees, and he had to walk up 100 stairs. And he was very old, and very drunk.”
Reedus on her story: “It’s kind of like the story of Elvis on the toilet with a peanut butter sandwich, like, I don’t wanna hear it.”
Diane: “You just asked me!…He was great. You would’ve loved him! You guys would’ve, like, been drinking together and it would’ve been great.”
I think less of Kruger for talking this way about A) someone who is dead and B) an acting legend. First of all, when someone dies, that’s not when you should slam them! O’Toole was a notorious drunk/alcoholic, as he discussed at length in his memoirs and interviews. My guess is that he didn’t really take the Troy gig seriously (very few people did, judging from the acting) and decided to just phone it in, half-drunk. Was it unprofessional? Sure. But still, I feel like complaining about it after the man is dead is sort of uncool too. O’Toole was acting poorly on a two-day job, in 120-degree heat, while half-in-the-bag. A lot of people would have dined out on that story for years!
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Being an unprofessionel drunk is also “uncool”.
Please tell me you watch RHONYC
Because dont be uncool like be cool – countess Luann God her quote is good for daaays!!
ehhh hes dead but she answered the question honestly i mean shade but if everyone knew he was a drunk how much shade can that be?
He was absolutely wretched to his wife and the mother of his son. He was a truly awful man. So go ahead Diane and say whatever your truth is about this drunken narcissist.
PS. And being a so called legend doesn’t make it ok to be unprofessional. If anything he should have been an example to the “kids”.
I\m with you guys on this one. Its a miracle the guy lived as long as he did. Probably only lived that long with all he self-abuse because, in his own words “he was Peter O’Toole”
Yeah being dead doesn’t make someone a saint.
You can’t do whatever you want in life because as soon as you die, it’s off the table for discussion and you get a pass on it all.
It’s hard because they can’t defend themselves, but there seems to be this thing where people want to write off things awful people do after they die and they are instant ooey gooey memories. But I kind of think it’s OK to say someone was a crappy human, or had crazy faults, or may not have had the most positive influence.
I completely agree. Dead people can be jerks too. If anything, I think calling someone out for being “just a drunk” is the most offensive and uninformed part of this. This was a man who admitted he battled a disease. This doesn’t excuse his behaviour, by any means. This doesn’t mean it should be tolerated or that she has to like the experience, but maybe throwing shade about someone’s illness isn’t in the best taste. There are more intelligent ways of conveying that experience without dumbing it down to one uninformed slur.
Yes. It doesn’t matter if he was an acting legend, if he was a drunk and unprofessional mess why shouldn’t she adressed it?
+1
Yep agreed. I’m assuming O’Toole was a belligerent drunk. However, I do think Diane should have cut the age comment. She shouldn’t complain that someone who is in his 70s had a hard time climbing up stairs in monstrous heat. Wait till she gets to be that age and some 20 year old complains that she is taking too long to cross the street.
I disagree – its better than saying it to his face. I mean he’s DEAD. And he was known for a long long time to be acting the drunken arrogant fool. He sounds VERY unprofessional.
Are we suppose to be look up to “legends” as if they were Gods who did no wrong and you cover your ears if anyone utters a bad thing about them ? No.
And being a young actor – most can’t say anything about their horrible co stars, or producers, directors — people in Hollywood are know to be vindictive and I see her being blacklisted just for telling the truth.
O’Toole operated like this for years? Then it’s okay to talk.
O’Toole was like this only at the end of his life, otherwise during his life he was not? Keep it to yourself.
In the first case, you are divulging what the person was truly like. In the second, you are mocking the infirmities of age.
But from what I’m reading here, it’s more like the first case, right?
I didn’t know anything about him other than him being a good actor, but it sounds like he was a real sh*t.
Totally agreed with that last part, Melon. Walking up hundreds of stairs in the heat when you’re elderly is a challenge, just wait till you get there Diane
He was like this for decades. I know people who worked with him when he was younger and it’s the same story. He couldn’t even do a curtain call without a drink in his hand. He was a terror to work with for a very long time, maybe always. But he was talented, so people put up with him.
I think it was his whole life. If you watch Caligula, which he was also in, it’s pretty clear that he’s actually drunk in his scenes, and other people on set confirmed that. He’s very clearly messed up, and that movie was made in the 70s.
Based on all available information, Peter O’Toole, Richard Burton and Oliver Reed were nightmare s to work with due to the demon drink which they indulged in all the time.
In our modern understanding, we accept that they were battling alcoholism, but that wasn’t an acceptable excuse back then, and they were very proud of their ability to drink river quantities and to carouse.
One of Elizabeth Taylor’s attractions for Burton was her ability to match him in the drinking dept which was good for them, but not so good for people around them or who had to work with them.
Being an acting legend doesn’t give you pass to be a rude and unpleasant. But I guess she should feel honored to have a story to tell.
Thank Christ I don’t have to attain the mantle of acting legend in order to allow myself to be rude and unpleasant.
It is always a bit of a downer when someone whose work you admire turns out to a jerk. A relative of mine works in movies and she once had the misfortune to work on a project with Omar Sharif. He only had a bit part that took 3 days of shooting but during those 3 days he managed to poison the atmosphere on a set that until then had been a pleasant place to work (and was after he left) – the man was that toxic! Everybody was affected and no one was happy as long as he was on set.
I remember Peter O’Toole openly dissing Troy after the premiere. I guess that was sort of his stick in later years – doing bit parts in projects that he didn’t have any respect for. He kind of made fun of himself in the movie “Venus” – it is hilarious but also slightly uncomfortable because he plays this old famous actor who a bit of a perv but it is still funnily written and performed.
That sucks! I really like Omar Sharif
Remember when Omar Sharif slapped that lady on the red carpet?
O’Toole might have been drunk and maybe he did phone it in on Troy, but the scene where Priamus begs Achilles for the body of his son was so much better then anything else in that movie (and I quite liked Eric Bandana in Troy).
Sharif did a movie in France in 90’s and the director said the one and only moment when he was nice ,it was when there were some kids involved. Apparently Omar Sharif liked the children
I remember when Omar Sharif beat up a parking garage attendant because he didn’t have American money to give the guy. He also called the guy a “stupid Mexican.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/parking-attendant-claims-omar-sharif-punched-wins-lawsuit-article-1.308399
Wow, she sounds like an incoherent teenager here. And it was definitely unprofessional to speak of Peter O’Toole like that. He was an institution. So what if he was drunk. She could only hope to be half as good an actor as he.
So that gave him the right to be rude and unpleasant to people? If he was like that to his costars, can you imagine what he was like to the crew?
It’s bad to speak ill of the dead, but no one has the right ot be an ass to the people around them. Unless they, I don’t know, discovered a cure for cancer so the entire humanity is in their debt. Then they get to be a bit cocky.
I think she could have kept this to herself ( especially the part about him being old like that was a crime) but him being an institution doesn’t make his actions okay.
She said he was unpleasant, but gave no specific example beyond the fact that he was drunk.
“And he could barely make it up the stairs. We were on a set that was – you know, you have to climb, like, I don’t know, 100 steps to go up. He was just – first of all, everybody thought he was gonna die right there and then. Because it was, you know, 120 degrees, and he had to walk up 100 stairs. And he was very old, and very drunk.”
She sounds like the ass to me.
But she doesn’t really explain the rudeness or unpleasantness other than to say (very rudely and in, like, KK fashion, like) that the cast thought he would die on the 120 steps climb.
Personally I would take issue with a director or location manager who didn’t think ahead to provide some sort of accommodation for an actor his age. How exactly did that make Peter rude?
She comes across as a total pill, which is pretty much what I think of her.
Well, to give her the benefit of the doubt, maybe the details would have made him seem even worse. What she said here was pretty general. Perhaps she was sparing him in a way?
I agree with Kitten, what Diane is saying about him is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Yeah, what she said about she being Helen of Troy and him being Peter O’Toole makes me kind of think he was a leering creep or worse, but it’s probably best that she didn’t go in to details. And for those commenting on his alcoholism somehow making it inappropriate to talk about… drunk or not, you are still accountable for your actions, whether or not the drinking is a symptom of a disease.
SilkyMalice is right!
Bill Cosby used to be an institution as well. Just sayin’.
What an insulting comparison. Alcoholism is a disease that takes a terrible toll on people. The only thing she came up with was that he was drunk and conceited. That’s a far cry from raping dozens of women.
Yes I agree, she’s not claiming he abused or assaulted anyone.
The comparison is apt in that one’s reputation or status is not a defense against bad behavior. And alcoholism might be a disease, but it’s not an excuse. I have a disease in my bipolar disorder. That does not give me an excuse to treat others poorly, to abuse them or make their lives harder. I still have my basic societal duties of respect and decency. If O’Toole was drunk to where he was delaying filming, causing issues with cast members or unable to perform his job, that’s reason to complain and dislike him. One can have compassion for an addict or sick person without coddling them.
That alcoholism is a disease isn’t a get out of jail free card (though it’s often more of a get Into jail card really). There is a lot of shade thrown on celebs who go into rehab but at least they are acknowledging the problem and trying to do something about it. The same with people who attend Alcoholics Anonymous. But too many alcoholics won’t admit they have a problem, and their friends and families often facilitate that behaviour (“he likes a drink now and again”). If it’s a disease, at least admit the problem and try and get some treatment for it. Otherwise, expect shade.
Exactly. Because they are “legends” (it´s just acting for crissake) they can behave and do what they want?
People have got to stop romantacising alcoholism in artists. His supposed talent is irrelevant in a discussion on the abusive work environment she experienced.
Where did you see “abusive environment”?
Oh I dont know, maybe it was when she said “But he wasn’t the most pleasant person. He was just a drunk, and Peter O’Toole. You know, he had a two-day part, and I played Helen of Troy and he was Peter O’Toole, and he just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that he was Peter O’Toole”.
Translation: drunk with industry clout who could barely do his job threw his weight around in the office ruining my work experience. Also, complaining would probably have got me fired as he is an “institution”. Aka work place abuse.
I agree, Naya. Even in AA, the alcoholic takes responsibility for their actions, even those committed when they were using.
This is my prime irritation, too. Adults need work to shed the frequent “like, like, like” from their conversations. Grow up. It grates on me so, almost as much as “a whole nother” and the ubiquitous tragic apostrophe.
There are no ‘institutions’- just people. Being good, or even extraordinary, at what you do doesn’t justify arrogant or unprofessional behaviour. Doesn’t matter what job it is, and acting, too, is just a job. So you do have collegues, and they are entitled to their opinion. And of course it influences the working environment, and the performance of others.
So what if he’s an institution, he was an unprofessional drunk.
She told me more about herself than him. She is totally classless.
So true – very tacky of her.
Yes, and very heartless. An elderly man walking up 100 steps in the heat and she’s ridiculing him and annoyed because he might drop dead. What a lovely person.
Exactly.
Exactly! She sounds like a 13 year old “hihi… we all thought he would die right there because he was sooo old”.
Of course a dead Hollywood legend is not of the hook – if someone behaves badly you can talk about it. You can say someone was unprofessional because he was drunk, was late, didn’t know his lines or was simply rude to people. But then talking about how hard it was for O’Toole to walk up all these stairs? That is rude.
Yes-ugh. Not a nice thing to say.
Agreed. I don’t think I’d have had an issue with her talking about how he was a challenge to work with, but the way she phrased everything was just awful. Especially the part about thinking he might drop dead, she sounds so incredibly immature and idiotic.
Exactly! She thinks it’s funny to joke about an old man having difficulty walking up a flight of stairs in tremendous heat.
How tacky is she?!
Also, inarticulate.
Yes, she could have easily commented on his unpleasantness since it was well know, but no need to criticize his age and growing infirmity. That was a step too far.
Agreed. I didn’t like the ageism at all. I actually feel bad that they made a person his age go through that. Thinking he would die is funny? No it’s not.
I thought she was saying that he couldn’t walk up the steps because he was drunk, not because he was old.
Agreed GNAT and SilkyMalice. He sounds irascible on the set, not abusive. Assuming more is ridiculous. He may have been an awful human being, but nothing she said made her sound good, nor him that awful. Drunk or not, memories of his career will probably outlast hers by many moons.
What she told us was about how an old man behaved unprofessionally on set, threw his weight around and was unpleasant to work with, and SHE is the problem because he was a ‘legend’?
Let’s all reflect on that, please.
If he was rude, that’s one thing … but she made a big deal about him being old. She kept mentioning that, making fun of it. Being old isn’t a crime. I’d argue being an alcoholic isn’t either, although that depends whether you view it as a disease. I don’t think you need to be kind about people just because they’re dead but the whole thing strikes me as just … unnecessary and kind of bratty.
Diane is a slender white European who looks great in designer clothing. To most people, that gives her carte blanche to say whatever she wants about anyone and still be considered classy, articulate, and sophisticated.
Seriously? Despite the fact most of the comments are slamming her and claiming it’s perfectly acceptable to be an unprofessional abusive drunk just as long as you happen to be famous? Despite the fact the only comments defending her are pointing out that, no, actually, it’s not okay to get wasted at work and make people’s lives miserable every single day?
I’m literally not seeing anywhere where she’s being given a pass because she’s female. I am seeing tons of stuff where she’s being attacked for being a female speaking out against a man’s bad behaviour, because God knows old famous white men are beyond reproach!
If a woman ever acted a tenth as badly as O’Toole did her career would have ended about a nanosecond later, and she’d be a hate figure.
What a vile person she seems to be.
He was a self-professed drunk, and that can lead to some sh!t behavior, which ideally he would take responsibility for.
The man is dead. She never would have said this crap if he were alive, she said so herself. That’s trashy and self-seeking.
the only things i remember about Troy were how bad her acting and that of orlando bloom was, and how hot Bana and Bean were, all tanned and curly of hair 🙂
oh yeah brad pitt was awful in it too. but delicious 🙂
Actually Peter O’Toole probably gave the best performance in it. Doesn’t mean he wasn’t hard to work with. Maybe he was awful and she’s trying to talk around it. Sounds a bit mean, just saying he was sooo old.
Yes, O’Toole gave the best performance of the movie – and he was kind of phoning it in. He was that good!
However that was one good awful movie – especially with the “creative” tinkering with the ending. *shudders* You simply don’t change the ending of a millenial old piece of epic literature because it doesn’t conform to Hollywood standards. That’s what really annoyed me. You you’re going to bring The Illiad to life on the silver screen then own that it is an epic tragedy where no one “wins”!
It was written by David Benioff, which explains a lot when it comes to some of the strange storytelling choices in Game of Thrones. This guy isn’t exactly a master storyteller.
Yeah, Bloom was SO bad in that movie but I think pretty much everyone else was solid. Bana and Bean were my favorites too but I liked Brad as Achilles and IMO there has never been a more beautiful woman than Diane as Helen of Troy.
She does seem a bit bratty in this interview but I still like her.
sean bean was amazing as odysseus- i really wish they’d make a film/mini series about odysseus with bean in it- his story and 10 year journey home is way more interesting than the war we see in Troy.
ooh i just remembered she was in inglorious basterds and was really good in that!
I always thought Diane was a bit to plain to play the most beautiful woman in the world. Saffron Burrows was much more beautiful in that movie, IMO.
Oliphant, I would have DIED for an Odysseus mini-series or movie with Sean Bean. That role really was him at his most gorgeous! And I think Diane was amazing in Inglorious Basterds too, probably second best after Christoph Waltz.
And Locke Lamora, I do think Saffron was stunning in the movie but Diane has this kind of beauty that Charlize has too – some might not like her but everyone would agree she is beautiful – an obvious kind of beauty if you will.
Lannisterforever oooh yes you are so right! Sean bean was BEAUTIFUL in Troy- I just rewatched a few clips on youtube PHWOARH curly and tanned and in greek armour- HELLO….
may have to dig out my copy of Lady Chatterly- i think after Troy that was his second hottest role, and then Sharpe. mmmmmmm.
phew is it hot in here? not good to be getting this worked up when i don’t finish for another few hours……
Yeah, Sean Bean looked fine in Troy. That was before his alcoholism took its toll on him though he seems to have gotten better lately so here’s to hoping that he’s in better health now.
Rose Byrne was the real stand out for me. That scene where she has a knife to Brads throat was so hot. I’m glad shes done so well for herself.
Yes to all of this! And I think I am the only one who never understood why she was cast to play Helen of Troy…
I think this movie was when everyone realised that Orlando Bloom couldn’t actually act, at least not in a role that called for him to do more than stand there and display his cheekbones.
I have always been of the opinion that Orlando Bloom would have been an excellent silent-movie star. He’s pretty and he has plenty of swash-buckling skills. 😉
Oh hey ya’ll, I love Orly in Elizabethtown. He is probably the only Brit actor who can’t do American accent but he was charming in that movie.
As much as I don’t like the idea of saying stuff about someone when they’re dead in the tone she does here (when she mentions how old he was and the stairs specifically, regardless of if he was drunk, he was 71 and the tone is mocking), he was known for being a drunk and a hellraiser so I would believe it. I also believe he knew it would be a stinker of a film and didn’t give a shit, not professional and to someone who isn’t Peter O’Toole who might be happy to just be in a large budget movie like this, so I get it.
It doesn’t actually sound as though he was relentlessly unpleasant to her specifically though, as in a misogynist way. so it does feel a bit like a cheap shot.
I’m pretty sure I remember fairly recently reading an interview of his, where he was speaking about his later-in-life acting jobs; he was enjoying taking essentially role offered to him, no matter how bad it was, if it afforded him the chance to travel somewhere new and get paid for only a few days of work.
My dad’s a big fan of his, and we were both tickled by the interview, because he seemed so self-aware and to have been having a great old time of it.
yeah same lindy
honestly there are lot of ‘acting legends’ and ‘national treasures’ that are supposed to be terrors, like maggie smith, bruce willis and chevy chase
What’s this about Maggie Smith being a terror? :-/
I don’t understand this “rule” that you cannot say anything negative about a dead person. And how is this even a big deal when it’s apparently common knowledge that he was a notorious drunk? So he behaved like he always did and she didn’t like it. Big whoop. Yeah, he was old and a legend. I get tired of giving old people a pass and frankly, a “legend” should behave accordingly.
As als says below, it’s unfair because the dead can’t speak for themselves. It’s not just a rule, it’s a law. You can’t sue a dead person’s estate for certain things because they are unable to defend themselves. It’s not an honorable thing to do. If you were at a party and people started trashing someone who wasn’t there, the right thing to do is to say you’re uncomfortable talking about someone who isn’t there to tell their side of the story. Of course, nobody cares about what’s right anymore, so that rarely happens. But since you asked…
Okay, first of all, it’s not like I’m running around speaking ill of the dead. Or living, for that matter. I don’t see the point because if I have something to say, I’ll tell someone to their face in a calm manner.
What you’re saying though is that no matter what someone did during their lifetime, as soon as they die you shut up about it? WHY??? I don’t accept the “honorable” arguement because you might as well say “Because I said so.” It’s an arbitrary rule and before you say it’s a law again, let me say I strongly object to the analogy. Not being able to sue a dead person has nothing to do with not saying anything bad about them. You can’t sue them … because they’re dead. But they’re not erased from the face of the earth. You can – at least here – of course inherit someone’s debt. And no, they cannot defend themselves but if they’re dead, they don’t have to either. If you were a bad person during your lifetime, you don’t deserve my courtesy when you’re dead.
I’m not advocating trashing deceased people left and right but are you really telling me that you never ever talk about someone who’s not there? Negatively? If someone’s an a**, not saying it won’t make that go away. For me personally though I should add that the people I don’t like know it and it’s usually mutual.
Well to play devil’s advocate, people talk sh*t about others all the time when they’re not there to tell their side of the story. They might not be dead, but they don’t get to present their side, you know?
Eh. I guess it’s poor form but I’ve said some things about my dead grandfather that are not nice but they’re true, and I don’t feel even remotely bad about it. He was an awful father to my grandma, my dad and his siblings. He was a mean, drunken old b*stard.
Is that cruel of me to say? Meh.
Cruel was the way he abused his family, I’m just telling it like it is and I feel no need to sugarcoat things or protect him just because he’s dead.
*shrugs*
Well, first of all, littlemissnaughty, I certainly didn’t mean that you personally go around saying speaking ill of the dead or living. You are a lovely person and my remarks were not directed at you or about you, just the topic.
Also, I didn’t say this, because it was assumed in my own head and I forgot to express it, which I often do, but I didn’t mean that you should never say anything negative about a dead person. If they were a difficult, self absorbed alcoholic when they were alive, there’s nothing wrong with admitting that in a private conversation. In fact, Kitten, I feel it’s probably important for your family to acknowledge that your grandfather was a dick. You shouldn’t have to pretend just because he’s dead. But I think it’s less than honorable (and I disagree with your characterization of the word honorable as being the same as because I said so, but that’s maybe for another day) to publicly tell a story that paints a dead person in a bad light, with such a disrespectful tone. I just think it’s gross. It was more the way she said it, like he was just SUCH a pain because he was old and drunk and couldn’t climb the stairs as fast as she could. I don’t think what she said was nice whether he was dead or alive, frankly.
As for talking about people who aren’t present, I really try not to do that in real life. Even if I loathe someone, if someone starts trashing them behind their back, I try really hard not to,participate, and if pushed will say it makes me uncomfortable to talk about people behind their backs. Obviously, I leave those scruples behind when I come on here.
ETA: Jesus “father to my grandma”? Yeah no. Sigh. HUSBAND to my grandma and father to my dad.
time for more coffee and less commenting.
@GNAT-I totally understand and I think what’s touching a nerve with people were her comments mocking his age. I feel like if she had expressed her feelings about O’Toole in a more polite, appropriate way, people wouldn’t be offended.
I wonder if she would have said it that way if Reedus hadn’t been there. I might be reaching with this, but it sort of seems like she was trying to sound cavalier/cool/badass in front of him. If I recall the rumors about those two, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was posturing to impress him.
That’s not an excuse for her behavior but I’m just wondering…
Nail on the head Kitten.
It was the reference to his age in such a cold tone that sparked my attention. He may have been an unpleasant drunk but she specifically mentions his age and that he might drop dead going up 100 stairs in the heat, which I’m sure would be true of a lot of 71 year olds, she’s just missing a LOL at the end.
I also agree she could be trying to impress Reedus
GNAT, I know you didn’t direct that remark at me personally but I felt like I needed to clarify that I don’t actually advocate going around trashing people. Dead or alive, a**hole or not. It’s unnecessary and probably bad karma.
I understand what you say about her tone but I have to defend her a tiny bit here because I’ve seen some of her talkshow interviews and her English is pretty good but the way she expresses herself is often very German. I don’t mean the part about his age but her general way of speaking. Very direct and not necessarily polite. I have no idea why she had to mention him not being able to climb the stairs in the heat but it sounded like she thought he shouldn’t have been there in the first place because he obviously didn’t take it seriously (which is debatable when you talk about an alcoholic) and that p*ssed her off. If you take out the age comment though, I simply don’t see why she shouldn’t have said what she said about his behavior/attitude. Maybe HE should’ve been more professional, especially at that age.
Re talking about people who aren’t there … well, like I said, the ones I talk about know it even if they might not be aware of that particular moment. And vice versa. I know who has nothing nice to say about me even if they are polite to my face. Which is fine because sometimes in your wider circle of friends there is the odd a**hole who is just impossible to like but you can’t always treat them like you want to. It would ruin birthday parties. As long as you don’t pretend to like someone and then turn around and trash them, I think it’s okay.
Yes, after having given it more thought, I agree with you both that it was the tone of what she said that seemed heartless t me, and the bit about the stairs that did, but I do see that things come across worse in writing sometimes. I have a very soft spot for animals and elderly people and children – I guess anyone who seems more vulnerable than the rest of us, so maybe I overreacted. I still think she could have cleaned it up and been kinder, though.
I am not a fan of Norman Reedus, but it looks like he shut her down and I think it was the right thing to do.
It’s alright, Kitten, I knew what you meant because of the context.
Does anybody else see the humor in a frequent commenter on a celebrity gossip site saying you shouldn’t make comments about someone not around to defend themselves?
@littlemissnaughty
“I don’t understand this “rule” that you cannot say anything negative about a dead person. ”
Either do I. If you acted like an ass when you were alive people shouldn’t pretend you didn’t. Death doesn’t erase your history and he had a long history of bad behavior.
I’m still kind of forming my thoughts on this but I think I agree with you. What she said wasn’t particularly professional in that I don’t think it’s ever great to talk badly about a co-worker. At the same time, there have been stories about O’Toole being a nasty old jerk for a long time so why should people pretend he wasn’t?
She really should have left the stuff about his age out of it though. That part seems needlessly callous.
This arbitrary rule that one can’t speak ill of the dead is ridiculous in my opinion because it whitewashes them to extent that people see them as saintly.
And that’s for middling people.
Where a person was a terrible human being, why should we whitewash them in death because of this rule?
@littlemissnaughty: Diane Kruger had a short interview in which she was adressed a question about her worst costar.
In her answer to this question she chose to talk about an actor that spent only two days filming on the set, even more, she described this actor in detail painting a very lame image of him. When she starts giving her answer she says “It kind of sucked. He’s dead, so I can say that.”.
The discussion is about this interview, it’s not a larger discussion about not talking ill of the dead unless you want to stretch it that far.
At no point does she say what her interaction with Peter O’Toole was, at no point does she mention how his condition affected her directly. If you ask me, she is leaving something out. Maybe he hit on her, maybe he said something to her, maybe she looked up to him and she was disappointed, she is not saying why this impacted her so much. Out of all her costars she chose a man that spent two days on the set. IMO she is being passive – aggressive which I am starting to see is her personality underneath all those cool clothes she’s wearing. Or maybe she actually did chose him because he is dead, like she says. What does that say about her?
This is a public interview, she did this in public.
As for the entire different conversation on not speaking ill of the dead, the only dead people that I have talked about are those that affected me and my loved ones in very serious ways. I don’t care about the rest of the dead enough to bash them.
Diane Kruger was not affected deeply by O’Toole (and if she was she should come out and say so not beat around the bush), she was participating in a small interview for a small movie and her mentioning of O’Toole seems unnecessary and petty.
And yeah, lucky for her that O’Toole is not still kicking, maybe if he was, he would have replied something like “Go f*ck yourself, you anonymous starlet!” But his dead so I guess he lost this round.
And about rules, there is no Court of Law that can enforce common decency or the ability to correctly asses a situation. You can talk ill of the dead that are close to you or strangers as much as you please, no one will punish you. There is no magic formula to explain in what circumstance you can talk about a dead person and when you can’t. You are your only judge. You chose by what standards you live your life.
Because there is no written rule about this, Diane assessed the situation in her own way and this is what came out of it.
Everyone knows he was a drunk and very mean on set and unpleasant as hell.
So she’s saying nothing new just stating known facts
Exactly, it was pointless.
Agree.
I read that as “stating known farts”, which I feel also works well.
Oliver Reed, there’s a drunk thespian you could set your watch to.
Oliver Reed, Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris were kind of an unholy trinity of drunk British thespians.
Don’t forget Richard Burton.
Richard Burton
How could I forget Burton *hangs head in shame*
I once saw Anthony Hopkins on stage in the West End, and he was raging drunk, in that you could see him in the wings with a glass in his hands. It is still one of the most masterful, electrifying performances I have ever seen, and he was word perfect throughout. As someone with a family history of alcoholism I thank the Lord that it bypassed me, and I admire Sir Anthony even more for the fact that he has been sober for many years. Sometimes these afflictions allow the inner genius to be released, but they do not make for a particularly happy or functional life. Addiction of any sort is a heavy burden, and none of us are potentially exempt. JMHO.
I am a recovering alcoholic, and I really like the fact that I have a hidden genius. 🙂
@bluhare, I have always suspected that about you! (The hidden genius I mean). LOL.
Thank you, antipodean. Now perhaps you can help me find it!
Peter O’Toole was kinda half and half but Harris was definitely Irish. A Limerick man. Being of Irish background, I think we need to own our drunks – who were also good actors (eg This Sporting Life).
I thought she was cooler than this! Seriously, lately Diane Kruger has been losing all kinds of respect.
You can’t really throw stuff like this out there precisely because they are dead, as in incapable of replying to what you are saying! Dead people can’t defend themselves or they can’t tell what they know about you or what they saw you doing on that set!
But she thinks the reverse, because he is dead, she is allowed to say it. Yuck!
I’m sure he doesn’t mind.
His family might.
Separate issue.
I think an elderly man with a history of alcoholism is an ugly, sad sight to behold, especially when that person was once known for his talent. But I am also repulsed by the callousness of youth. Her lack of respect, compassion and discretion are just as ugly to me. She could have said it was difficult, it was sad or awkward or just kept her mean mouth shut, instead of trying to justify her lousy performance. The part about him almost dropping dead was so cold and spiteful, and says much more about her than it does him.
All of this! 100%.
Yes, regardless of him being drunk or not, he was 71 so probably would have struggled regardless getting up 100 stairs in scorching heat, and yes been a bit of a crotchety ass so a bit of empathy wouldn’t go a miss but it’s 100% absent here. Not saying he was a joy to work with but her tone here is very mocking, cold and patronising. As others have said, she gives no specific examples other than he wanted everyone to know he was Peter O’Toole, so I’m guessing arrogance, maybe some diva type behaviour?
Spot on.
This, exactly.
This.
Also I can’t help but wonder if his stealing the show from her and other actor’s work in that movie plays a part in her saying this like she does. Which also reflects poorly on her.
Excellent post, GNAT, I agree. He had an addiction, was old and he seemed ill… Being unpleasant is criticizable, all the others, IMO, not so much. She comes off as very arrogant. God forbid she becomes old or ill and has to work.
I am still sad that Peter O’Toole never got an Oscar for his work even after multiple nominations, when less relevant actors have gotten one or more.
I know he won a honorary Oscar, but it is not the same.
Yeah, I don’t care if he was drunk/ a pain to work with – especially as it was two days in the whole shoot of a crappy movie no one cares about in hindsight, I find it really hard to believe she hasn’t had less pleasant experiences with actors she’s had to work more in depth with. It’s just much easier to trash talk someone who’s dead, who was well known for his alcoholism. She’s pushing 40 and speaks with so little class or wisdom, if this was coming from a twenty something I might be like whatever, but she knows Peter O’Toole is a legend and doesn’t give a crap . The only thing I like is when she says he and Norman Reedus would have got along.
“I find it really hard to believe she hasn’t had less pleasant experiences with actors she’s had to work more in depth with.”
Even I’ve personally known people who say Peter O’Toole was the worst person they have ever worked with because of his treatment of others. Why would you doubt Diane when it is pretty common knowledge that he was abusive and cruel? It wasn’t just that he wasn’t cuddly or outgoing, he was cruel.
Did she say he was cruel or abusive to her? No she did not, it sounded like she was watching his drunk ass about to keel over in 120 degree heat with some degree of scorn. And yes I do doubt his presence in a two day cameo role was so enormously traumatizing for her, puh-lease. I am not defending him, I’m sure he was capable of being cruel and nasty, mean drunks are the worst, I know it first hand as the child of an alcoholic. If she had said “He said something that cut me to the bone and I will forever spit on his grave!” I would not take umbrage with it. But it’s just blanket trash talk, about a dead person, which she seems to think is sort of funny, which does smack of cowardice imo. I can’t imagine Nicolas Cage is a dream to work with but we don’t hear her spouting off about him.
So dramatic.
Alcoholism doesn’t absolve someone from their behavior when they were using. If they were unprofessional and traumatizing to work with, why shouldn’t they be called on it? It seems his life went by in a drunken haze while avoiding consequences for his treatment of others. Diane isn’t pulling accusations out of nowhere. He was allowed to treat people terribly for decades.
I think it was just her tone. What did he really do? She never said. She just said he had a hard time walking up the stairs and he was full of himself. I didn’t get the feeling he actually did anything to her.
Yup, yup and yup, GNAT.
she really isn’t interesting enough to shake his martini
but that brunette on the other side of him is so pretty, who is she?
Rose Byrne.
She was so cute in Troy! I think it was one of her first roles and she did great.
I remember thinking Rose Byrne should have played Helen of Troy in that movie. She was absurdly beautiful. It’s a shame that she turned into a shell of herself–and I’m certainly not bodyshaming her; for all I know she could have had health problems. I just hope it’s not because she succumbed to Hollywood pressure, because she didn’t need to do that–she’s very talented and could have gotten plenty of interesting work outside of Hollywood.
Rose Byrne is still an excellent acress but she does seem to be withering away physically. She was great in the first two seasons of Damages, which is an excellent show in itself – with meaty, nuanced characters and a will do engage with narrative experiments.
@ArtHistorian-YES. Her weight loss on Damages (yay someone else has watched that show!) was really drastic.
I’m not one to concern troll but as a huge fan, I have to admit that I found it alarming.
She is probably my #1 girl crush of all-time.
Sigh.
She has the face of a doll and she’s a wonderful actress to boot.
Also her outfits–the coats in particular–during the last couple seasons of Damages were straight-up fashion pr0n.
I loved her role in Marie Antoinette as the Duchess of Polignac. I wondered if get they would be able to find someone with her legendary beauty and she was a good fit.
Damages was such an brilliant show. IMO, it has the BEST opening sequence I’ve ever seen on tv where editing, music and sound effects blend perfectly to create a rising sense of suspension. Then there’s the fact that it pulls off telling an exciting and suspenseful story in a non-chronological manner. That show is television of a quality that is rarely seen. Glenn Close, Rose Byrne and Ted Danso all deliver excellent performances but it is Zelkjo Ivanek that delivers the most conflicted and heart-rending performances IMO.
I too loved her outfits.
Tina Fey, is that you?
How long ago did she work with him. Of course she has a right to say whatever she wants. And no being an Acting Legend doesn’t mean he can’t be called out.. but man all these years later. I guess she needed something to say.
It was an interview Norman Reedus and Kruger did together, and it was actually Reedus asking about the “meanest actor she ever worked with”. She just mentions O’Toole as not being the most pleasant one. Later in the interview, Reedus comes back to this with why O’Toole was “such a dick”. That’s when she went into detail. You can read the whole thing on internet. I did put a link in already, but that wasn’t accepted.
the only entertaining thing that came out of that movie was that George Clooney played a prank on Brad Pitt some time after it was released. Clooney had stationery made with Brad Pitt’s letterhead, got a book “Acting for Dummies” and send it to Meryl Streep with the note “Dear Meryl, this book really helped me with my accent for Troy. I hope it helps you too. -Brad Pitt”
That’s hilarious! I love George Clooney.
😀
She is not just calling him rude and drunk, she is also ridiculing him for being old and unfit, and this is mean. She could have said the same in a much nicer way, I do think less of her now too.
I cannot stand Diane Kruger. Self absorbed and has delusions of granduer. She chased Reedus like a parched fool and he’s just not into her.
Just accept it Diane! And don’t talk about the deceased like that.
At least her uncle, Freddy was a much better actor!
Good one!
When asked about who her least-favorite co-star was, she could have stated that it was Peter O’Toole, and left it at that.
It was childish, haughty, and in poor taste.
She actually did leave it at this. You can read the interview between them on internet. It was Reedus who wanted to know more.
@siri – good to know. I didn’t bother reading the full piece.
“She chased Reedus like a parched fool and he’s just not into her.”
You know them well personally, of course.
While it was well known that he was a drunk and rude man (just like Oliver Reed) its not really ‘cool’ to speak ill of the dead.
Reed was appalling drunk on a British chat show many years ago, and it was pretty embarrassing, but he had a very nice turn in his final film, Gladiator, where his final scenes had to be CGI ‘d postmortem. I would say it was good to see him go out on a high, but that could be misinterpreted….
Not sure what makes O’Toole so sacrosanct? He was only an actor.
If he was an asshole to work with, I don’t see why that’s so terrible to discuss. Alcoholics aren’t cute or fun.
was it professional for him to act while drunk?….no. was it professional for her to talk about him posthumously? eh prob not poor taste.
However in the end, Peter O’Toole will always be revered as one of our greatest acting legends, alcoholic or not.
Doubt we will say the same about Diane whatshername.
It is not like he just died. And being drunk at work is unprofessional and disrespectful. Women in particular are told to just deal with men acting that way, it is not okay. It would have been better to call it out while he was still alive, but she would have been attacked for that too.
So, all I really get from this is that an aged, drunken Peter O’Toole acting in 120 degree heat gave by far the best performance in Troy after exhausting himself by struggling up 100 stairs. Doesn’t say much for Diane Kruger’s acting abilities, does it? What’s her excuse for her horrible performance?
Excellent summary, Tiny Martian.
I agree that she is tactless, but poor Peter doesn’t work with him, he didn’t die this year and this isn’t the first story about his bad behaviour.
Eh, he was always like this on sets, nothing to do with his age. He didn’t try to hide who he was, and he wouldn’t have cared that other people talked talked about it. I suspect in his later years he’d of found this anecdote rather amusing. Anyway she’s far from the first to talk about what an unprofessional arse he could be, it’s not like she’s spilling secrets here, his behavior is very well-documented.
O Toole is one the most charismatic actors ever, in my book. He was also an enormous dick when drunk, the type of Hollywood star that takes an entire production hostage at times and who’s emotional abusive to his spouse. I’m sorry to hear that old O’Toole was as bad as young O’Toole, I thought he got better in the 80’s. The size of his role in Troy has probably little to do with his attitude, after all, he got stupid drunk the day before shooting the most important scene in Lawrence of Arabia, the attack on Aqaba, and he almost got killed (he blamed it on the camel).
I don’t think these Hollywood legends, crass drunks and narcissists, should be coddled, pre or post demise. I don’t think alcoholism and bad behavior should be glamorized. I hear hellraiser and I think vulgar unprofessional who needs to be removed and sent to rehab.
I don’t care if Diane called him out after his death. And you know what? He wouldn’t care either. In My Favorite Year, O’Toole plays an Errol Flynn-like character, or an iteration of himself some would say, an aging drunk who has a last shot at fame. He was self aware that way, but enough of an asshole not to change.
+1000. Perfectly said. Some of the pearl-clutching in this thread over what’s frankly some very mild dirt-dishing beggars belief.
If I rembember right, Peter O´Toole´s drinking stopped in the early 1980´s.
His wife described their marriage as ìntermittently ecstatic or unbelievably dreadful`, but never dull.
He´s one of my favorite actors.
@ dagdag
1975 was when O’Toole quit drinking after a near fatal illness.
The time to ensure that people speak well of you after you die is when you’re alive.
Peter O’Toole’s history of awful behavior, both professionally and in his personal life (e.g. being abusive towards his wife, Sian Phillips ), suggests that wasn’t a priority for him. I don’t expect people who were on the receiving end of his unpleasantness to show more concern for protecting his reputation than he ever did.
Very beautifully put, dana.
So well written, dana.
How unkind to make fun of an old man struggling to walk up 100 stairs in the heat. She could have just ignored his ‘unprofessional’ behaviour. But she clearly wanted to impress Reedus who responds appropriately and then she backtracks. This just makes her sound unprofessional and egotistical. She could have made a joke about someone else she starred with, but no, it’s ‘safer’ to attack the dead. Have never liked her, now I like her less. And yes, perhaps he was a drunk, but he was an incredibly gifted actor who will always remain a legend.
Being a long-time alcoholic is a terribly sad thing, and you are never seeing that person at their best in such a state. And let’s not forget alcoholism is an illness. I don’t begrudge her bringing this up. It’s the mean-spirited tone in a few of the things she said that I feel crossed the line.
First off, this is why a friend interviewed Diane. They know the questions to ask and she’s comfortable enough to answer. Hence the unusual level of candor.
And I’m getting increasingly uneasy with this strange expectation of folks on this board that women say the right thing at the right time, all in the name of “classiness” etc. Somewhere along the way we’ve started expecting “niceness” over many, many other qualities, and I can’t help but feel like we’re constantly telling women to shut up for fear of being not nice, or “unprofessional”. O’Tool was an a-hole. He showed up drunk on a day he knew he’d have to climb 100 stairs in 120 degree heat. She’s allowed to say that it was an unpleasant experience.
+1
Fair point.
Additionally, I wonder how much of this is a reaction to Krueger’s icy-cool, aloof vibe and people jumping on an opportunity to chastise her and knock her down a peg, or at least feel vindicated for disliking her.
I’m not saying that’s the sole reason, just wondering if that could be part of it.
I also didn’t realize that she was being interviewed by a friend–definitely adds some needed context to what she’s saying here.
@Bridget,
……He showed up drunk on a day he knew he’d have to climb 100 stairs in 120 degree heat. She’s allowed to say that it was an unpleasant experience. ….
We have 97 steep steps to our house in front and I have seen young healty peole huffing and puffing and O´Toole has been of alcohol since the 80´s..
It was an interview between Reedus and Kruger. It’s on internet, the link was not accepted here. Reedus asked her who the “meanest actor she ever worked with” was, and she just replies with O’Toole not having been pleasant. The interview goes on about other things, and then Reedus wants to know more, asking her why O’Toole was “such a dick”.
I don’t think it is a problem to mention it. But she was mocking him and it is not OK in my books. “I was Helen of Troy “…
She was terrible in it and I still don’t know why she was playing Helen of Troy.
I believe her that he was drunk, I’ve read a lot about that from different sources, so I’m sure it’s true. However, I met him in Ireland during the Galway Film Festival, and he was the nicest person ever to my classmates and I.
Probably TLDR: We were there from Canada during the summer for an English Literature course and we were walking around the streets of Galway and saw him. The whole class wanted a picture with him, but he was surrounded by paparazzi while walking, so me being the smallest scooted through the crowd to ask him for a picture with us. One of the paparazzi pushed me out of the way and Peter O’Toole saw it and told the paparazzi off for doing that. I then tried to ask him for a picture, but his manager shut me down immediately, saying that he was in a big hurry getting to a panel at the festival and didn’t have time. He however, heard me, and told his manager it was fine and that he would love to take a picture with us. He got his manager to go get my classmates through the crowd of photographers and got them all lined up with him. His manager couldn’t figure out how to use my camera, which was absolutely ancient at the time, so I left the group to take the picture of everyone instead.
And my camera malfunctioned, for like five minutes… (While he was in a hurry and probably wanting to leave.) I was so embarrassed, and was the only one in the group with a camera at the time, so we couldn’t use someone else’s. But for this whole five minutes (felt like longer) as I was trying to get my piece of junk camera to work and was freaking the hell out, he just made smalltalk and told me not to worry and that getting the picture was what was important. FINALLY MY CAMERA WORKED. I got the picture of him and my classmates. He asked me if I wanted a picture of just him and me, and I told him I had wasted enough of his time. He asked me if I was sure, I said I was, so he came up and gave me a hug and told my classmates and I to have a great day.
He was a really, really sweet man. He may have been different on movie sets, I don’t know. But I really appreciated how kind he was to 17 year old me, when I was honestly wasting his time while he was trying to get some place.
And that’s how I’ll remember him.
What a lovely story! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I think O’Toole was most at home in Ireland.
That is a really nice story. Too bad Diane couldn’t have shared something positive.
Reedus asked her what was the worst experience with an actor and she replied.Later,he asked her more details so she gave more details and seems a little embarrassed
Cold. REALLY cold.
setting aside the conversation above,
i just came across some interesting footage about Hamlet:
http://dasthing.tumblr.com/post/132154161784
the caption of the video said:
“Peter O’Toole and Orson Wells with Huw Wheldon and Ernest Milton discuss Shakespeare and being politically incorrect some of the times. ”
it’s interesting how in those days television would dedicate half an hour or more to just film stars and directors dissecting Shakespeare. whereas now their time are filled with press junkets and red carpets of the same questions.
It is fairly well known that Peter O’Toole stopped drinking in 1975 after a near fatal illness in which surgeons had to remove a fair bit of his digestive system. He admitted that it is likely the only reason he managed to outlive Burton, Harris and Reed.
His alcoholism and antics on and off set are well documented. There is a great book out-that examines the lives and careers of Peter O’Toole, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed. Oliver Reed in Women in Love was almost too gorgeous to look at. And lastly, check out Richard Burton’s Diaries- it is a real eye opener to the level of drinking and/or drug use that was tolerated on sets 60s/70s.
People will literally jump over themselves to protect a white man. So what if he was a good actor or he was charming ? That does not exempt him from basic human niceness to his fellow cast mates. Also being dead does not exempt someone from criticism and I doubt Diane could have said anything like this when he was alive and gotten away with it considering he is an old white man and everyone knows how Hollywood loves those
OMG what does his color/ ethnicity have to do with the discussion???
SMH.
The amount of people who lose their shit any time a white man is even mildly criticised (while constantly attacking anyone female) suggests otherwise.
Jesus can you imagine if a black actor was constantly getting wasted and raising all kinds of hell (shagging everything, pissing in public, treating people badly)? Can you imagine the kind of image he’d have, the kind of press coverage, the impact on his career? Dollars to donuts that actor would not be benevolently coddled as a “fun-loving bon viveur.”
I take issue with her bringing up what seems more like age-related problems as an example of “unpleasantness (cuz she should PRAY to be allowed to continue to work in this industry past 40, let alone 70),” but –
If Charlie Sheen, a debatebly good actor at one time (Platoon, Wall Street, Major League), who IS NOT the most likeable guy of late, passes, will it be wrong for people like Chuck Lorre or Jon Cryer to bring up how much hell and heartache he raised while on Two and a Half Men, if asked (if assuming they outlive him)?
Yeah that’s actually a really good hypothetical about Sheen. I’m probably the wrong person to attempt to answer it because I detest that piece of human garbage but I would think that Cryer and Lorre would get a lot of public support if the said something similar about Sheen.
Norman Reedus looks what in Mexico we call a “chavoruco”, a grown up person desperately clinging to his youth trying to be uber cool…
Jajajajaja spot on!!!
There are many everywhere nowadays, including Diane and Kim K with their annoying way of speaking.
I thought Diane was more sensible than she showed here, but she probably is not much more of a clothes horse. I was not impressed with her acting in that Bordertown series she was doing, supposedly in Juarez.
I think her wording was unfortunate and saying she felt free to talk because he is dead felt a little callous. I’m not saying she should lie but there are ways to get your point across without sounding mean. I agree with Kitten above about her wanting to seem cool for Reedus.
I don’t think she liked the Troy experience from the response she got from the public and press. Her as the great beauty whose looks started a war fell flat. It wasn’t that people thought she was ugly but they didn’t think she was Helen. I was underwhelmed by her performance and didn’t buy she could inspire the turmoil that resulted.
I am not saying not to speak a truth about anyone just because they are venerated members of society, but I think there are better ways to articulate a negative experience.
The 1957 Helen of Troy had bombshell Rossana Podesta as the title character, was far more in keeping with ancient ideals of beauty (if we can judge by ancient art.) It had Stanley Baker, Cedric Hardwicke, Brigitte Bardot, & Jacques Sernas was Paris.
Thanks. It sounds like something worth checking out. 🙂
I have never thought much of her, so I don’t know that I can think less, but this sounds more like sullen teen than aggrieved professional. I wouldn’t mind if she had said he was her least favorite/most difficult to work because he was a drunk and an ass, but it’s pretty classless/unnecessary to call him out for being old.
I cannot believe how many comments are on this thread, & that the majority (it seems) side with Krueger.
I have always wondered what Diane Krueger has contributed to this world, other than being a semi-attractive clothes hanger. She hardly acts, & clearly behaves & speaks like a 13 yr old. Plus now she’s proved herself to be disrespectful of an acting legend, drunk or not. Her opinion & voice count for nothing.
I completely agree. Drunk or not he was a brilliant actor, nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 23 other various awards (Golden Globes, British Film Awards etc). She’s got zero class or manners.
She on the other hand is a fair to middling actress that most people won’t even remember in 10 years. She needs to take several seats.
If that’s the standard, where an itty bitty German actress cannot attack said unprofessional legend, then would it be OK for a sacred cow to attack another? I’m talking about Katharine Hepburn, she of several Oscars (four) and many more nominations (a bazillion). She called O’Toole a pig, he loved it, BTW, and even conked him in the head on the set of Lion in WInter – not classy at all, I’ll agree.
Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds though?
So if you’re NOT a legendary actor you have to eat sh*t and put up with the terrible behavior of others. If you’re a legendary actor you get carte blanche to treat everyone like garbage?
Would you apply this to your work place scenario as well? Do you let the higher-ups get away with treating the newbies like crap because, seniority or whatever?
I don’t even understand why you would justify terrible behavior in that way or feel the need to advocate for someone who has a history of treating coworkers badly.
So if Krueger was also a legendary actress, then what? Would she somehow be more entitled to her opinion?
That’s just absurd, sorry. Just think of the same situation at any other workplace. Awards or not, that kind of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated or justified for long.
Obviously if you do not have Academy nominations you are not allowed to point out if someone is a dick.
I dunno…dead or not, his whole body language in that photo makes he seem kind of creepy. He comes from a Hollywood generation of good old boys, I wouldn’t put it past him to be a bit sexist, especially if he was drunk.
I prefer to remember Elvis ’56 and O’Toole in those white robes striding across the train roof with the sun glinting behind him.
HE HARDLY PHONED IT IN – HIS PERFORMANCE IN TROY IS EXQUISITE!
ALSO, If he was a mean drunk then what’s her stone cold sober excuse for being a total bitch?
After reading Diane’s answer again, I agree with the couple of commenters who think she was inarticulately trying to say that he was not just a 70 year old man climbing stairs in terrible heat, but that he was a terrifyingly drunk 70 year old man climbing stairs in terrible heat.
Lots of people, young and old, would have trouble in that situation, but the addition of alcohol makes it tremendously dangerous. And the baby needs to eat lunch, so I can’t Google, but doesn’t alcohol mess with the body’s ability to regulate temperature? If so, that would make an O’Toole disaster even more likely.
I read this awhile back and had to laugh. She might live mostly in Paris and the US, but you can tell she’s German. She’s very blunt and honest. I knew she was going to get in trouble for this when I read it.
For the record, I actually think she was trying to excuse him, not make fun of his health with the whole it was 120 degrees and he had to walk up all those steps. And the fact that she told Reedus he probably would have liked him makes me think that she didn’t have personal issues against him, just professional ones. Being drunk at work isn’t professional.
I’d be interested in Rose Byrne’s perspective. She worked with him in Casanova for which he gave a beautifully melancholy performance.
Diane’s PR machine has been in overdrive lately.
Even though she comes across as a bitch I’m not really bothered by what she said I mean we claim we want honesty from these stars she gives it to us and its not something a lot of us want to hear. Go figure.
I think she could’ve phrased it more diplomatically though and well I question her timing with “He’s dead I can say this” honestly I’d respect her more if she actually said this while he was alive. Saying it now just seems like a gutless move.
Diane Kruger has always struck me as articulate….until I read this. How many times did she say “you know”?
That being said, I dont really care if she disses Peter O Toole or not. He may be a legend but that shouldnt excuse dickish behaviour.
It goes Troy, 300, then gladiator.
All this outrage is hilarious. O’Toole was never afraid to say something mean or cruel about his fellow actors, and he didn’t care when people gave him the same treatment. What Diane said here is one of the gentler accounts of his behaviour. And for the hand-wringers, his family made it known they were very aware of his faults.
Not every culture feels the need to tiptoe around recognising the dead’s faults, many cultures are much more blunt about these things. For many people, when someone’s dead, that’s it, it no longer matters what people think of them, because it’s not like they’re coming back to face the music. Personally I think it’s important to memorialise people as they were, not just hold up the good parts and ignore the bad.
I agree with Celebitchy’s opinion. Terrible stuff to be saying about someone given he didn’t really do anything serious and his poor mobility was partly attributable to age. Shame on Diane for this. She’s a bit lost.
So if a modern day actor, say Clooney came on set drunk and obnoxious would we give him a pass?
I’ve often thought, that people revere Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O’Toole, but would crucify an actor today for the same behaviour.
Nobody notice the bizarre shade she throws at Reedus. “Hey he was a drunk, he was unpleasant, you 2 would have been good together” …
Why should she lie just because he’s dead?! Just because you’re a famous, regarded actor, isn’t an excuse for being an awful person!
I love Peter O’Toole and he was a legend, but she was just being honest. I don’t see how she should be attacked for saying what she said. If he was her worst co star then he was. She shouldn’t have to lie just because the man is dead and he was a respected man. Everyone knows he was a drunk any way. People always want the pretty girls to be quiet.
She’s not that pretty. Maybe if she was prettier, I’d give her a pass on this crassness. /s
My heart belonged to O’Toole from the moment I watched him play Henry II in ‘Becket’. Even now, the way he says ‘The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts’ in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ sends shivers up my spine. I thought-and think- that he was lightning in a bottle, just a glorious, tragically beautiful miracle.
BUT. It’s no secret that he was an alcoholic, and it’s no secret that he was frequently wasted on set or stage. And that is not behaviour that his colleagues should be expected to whitewash or find delightful. He was fortunate enough to operate mostly in a period where his beauty and talent enabled him to get away with such outrageous unprofessionalism. It’s not behaviour that would be tolerated now. I think. I hope.
And for what it’s worth, it actually sounds as though Kruger is trying to excuse O’Toole a little in the interview. And even if she weren’t, what’s the story here? ‘Famously drunk and unprofessional actor confirmed to be drunk and unprofessional’. Seems like a perfectly reasonable observation.