Peter O’Toole, on Fresh Air, telling Terry Gross about shooting the dangerous scene pictured above for Lawrence of Arabia.
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I love how O’Toole takes her question and turns it into a narrative, reveling in the details, painting a picture, and ending with a bang. As is often the case, Gross asks a follow-up question that leads to a coda by O’Toole that sums up not only the moment and the story, but also his entire approach to life.
Yes, Peter O’Toole is a great storyteller! He uses his words, his voice and his energy to bring his story to life.I often remind students that communicating with confidence means using all the tools at their command — mind, body, spirit — to attract and hold a listener — pitching your voice, pausing and gesturing for emphasis, alternating speed, using facial expressions, pronouncing words correctly (especially endings).There’s a wonderful scene in the movie OUT OF AFRICA where Meryl Streep’s character is telling a story to two entranced listeners who are not only hanging onto what she is saying but also how she is telling her story. After all, arent’ we all storytellers? We tell others every day about who we are what we want out of life.