Irish actor Peter O'Toole "peacefully" passed away on Dec. 14, his family announced today. The 81-year-old Lawrence of Arabia actor had been ill for some time.
Peter's daughter, Kate O'Toole, said in a statement, "His family are very appreciative and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts."
She also asked that the family be allowed to "grieve privately."
The president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, also released a statement on O'Toole's passing, saying, "Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre. He was unsurpassed for the grace he brought to every performance on and off the stage."
O'Toole was best known for his iconic role in 1962's Lawrence of Arabia. He was recently seen in 2008 as Pope Paul III in Showtime's The Tudors. He also voiced the character Anton Ego in 2007's Pixar hit Ratatouille.
The seasoned actor had close to 100 credits to his name before he passed away, and in 2012, he announced his retirement from acting saying, "I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell."