RICHARD BURTON - O'TOOLE AN EARLY TIP FOR OSCARS GOLD

O'TOOLE AN EARLY TIP FOR OSCARS GOLD

Movie legend PETER O'TOOLE is being tipped to finally pick up his first Academy Award after joining late RICHARD BURTON as the Oscars' biggest loser. The LAWRENCE OF ARABIA star has been nominated seven times but has yet to win a golden man. However, leading Internet award shows tip site Goldderby.com insists O'Toole's luck is set to change. Goldderby.com editor TOM O'NEIL believes O'Toole missed out in the past because he was considered a "hooligan" by conservative Oscar voters. He says, "Booze-fuelled antics were no doubt the reason that JUDY GARLAND never won and ALBERT FINNEY still hasn't." But O'Neill is giving O'Toole an early Oscars nod for VENUS, which debuts this weekend (beg08SEP06) at the Telluride Film Festival. In the film, the actor plays a lecherous thespian who lusts after his colleague's teenage niece.