This morning, Hollywood was abuzz with the tragic news that legendary actor Peter O'Toole passed away at the age of 81 in his sleep at a hospital in London on Saturday. But it left many a fan and insider wondering: what was the refined actor from an era long gone by like in person?

A few accounts have arose, of course, in the wake of his passing. First, NPR reports that the actor was "larger than life," both onscreen and off. In his younger days, he was known for his wildly-out-of-control drinking and partying, and he began running with the big names of his heyday: Richard Burton, Trevor Howard and Richard Harris. He outlasted them, despite a medical history that had people counting him out in his 40s. In addition, NPR reports that he once told an interviewer that his only exercise was "walking behind the coffins of my friends who took exercise." But he persevered. In the movie Venus, at age 75, he was charismatic as ever, playing a lusty old actor who realizes there are loose ends in his life he should tie up.

Saying goodbye to his ex-wife (played by Vanessa Redgrave), he notes with a laugh, "We won't live forever."

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times remembers a very different Peter O'Toole, whose marriage to Sian Phillips in the 1970's yielded 2 daughters (as well as accusations of mental cruelty and extreme jealousy by Sian when they divorced). "When I think about Venus and Lawrence, in my mind the bookends of O'Toole's career, I don't see the decline but the continuity. Yes, he aged, but he was always O'Toole, a superior being with the generosity to bring everyone along for the ride. If it could be argued that all his characters were aspects of himself, O'Toole's personality was so multifaceted that each performance felt individual," writes Kenneth Turan. 

Though O'Toole was nominated for several Academy Awards during his career, he never won one, though he was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2003 for his body of work. In addition, he was offered a knighthood in 1987, but turned it down for political and personal reasons. 

Michael D. Higgins, the president of Ireland, lauded the Irish-born O'Toole Sunday: "He was unsurpassed for the grace he brought to every performance on and off the stage," Higgins said.