Hollywood is full of "what ifs," but sometimes the "what actually happened" is way more interesting. People always talk about Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck or Hepburn and Cary Grant. Those are the classics. But there is this weird, sparkling, slightly chaotic moment in 1966 when Audrey Hepburn teamed up with a young, blue-eyed hellraiser named Peter O'Toole.
The movie was How to Steal a Million.
If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on the most relaxed Audrey Hepburn ever caught on film. Most people think their relationship was just another professional Hollywood gig. It wasn't. It was a collision of two completely different worlds that somehow resulted in a lifelong bond.
The Night a "Burglar" Met a Princess
When production started on How to Steal a Million in Paris, the atmosphere was, well, a bit tense. Audrey was dealing with a crumbling marriage to Mel Ferrer. She was, as Peter O'Toole later described in interviews, "unhappy." She was the world’s most polished icon, wearing Givenchy like a second skin, while O’Toole was the wild man of the 1960s. He’d just come off Lawrence of Arabia and was known more for his legendary drinking bouts than for being a "safe" leading man.
Basically, nobody knew if they’d even like each other.
Director William Wyler had a hunch, though. He’d worked with Audrey on Roman Holiday and knew she needed a spark. O'Toole provided a goddamn forest fire. Their first meeting on set set the tone. Peter, ever the prankster, immediately started chipping away at Audrey’s "Saint Audrey" persona.
There’s a great story—O’Toole once challenged her to play the piano in front of the entire crew just to see if she’d crack. She didn't. She played. And from that moment on, the ice didn't just melt; it evaporated.
Why the Chemistry Worked (Literally)
Most of Audrey’s previous leading men were significantly older. Think about it. Gary Cooper in Love in the Afternoon or Fred Astaire in Funny Face. They were father figures. Peter O’Toole was only 33. Audrey was 36.
For the first time in a long time, she had a peer.
- They spent hours in a cramped broom closet.
- Seriously, the heist scene takes up almost an hour of the movie.
- They were physically touching, whispering, and giggling for weeks.
- O'Toole’s "suave-yet-goofy" energy forced Audrey to stop being a "statue" and start being a person.
They were so in sync that Wyler often had to stop filming because they wouldn't stop laughing. You can see it in the final cut. There’s a scene where they’re hiding in a tiny museum closet, and the look in their eyes isn't "acting." It’s two people having the time of their lives while everyone else thinks they're working.
The Brandy and Port Incident
O’Toole wasn't just there to be a co-star; he became her protector. He noticed she wasn't eating. She was "blue," as Wyler put it. So, O’Toole and Eli Wallach (who played the tycoon Davis Leland) decided to take matters into their own hands.
They started "medicating" her with brandy and port.
Honestly, it sounds like a recipe for a hangover, but for Audrey, it was a release. She was living in a fishbowl, and O’Toole gave her permission to be a bit of a "ruffian" like him. He called her "an aristocrat" and himself a "humble burglar." It wasn't just a line from the script; it was their dynamic.
The Givenchy Conflict
We have to talk about the clothes. You can't talk about Peter O Toole and Audrey Hepburn without mentioning the fact that this movie was basically a Givenchy runway show. But O'Toole didn't care about the couture.
In one of the most famous lines of the movie, his character Simon Dermott tells Nicole (Audrey) to change into a scrubwoman’s outfit to sneak into the museum. He says, "It gives Givenchy a night off."
Off-camera, O'Toole treated her Givenchy suits like they were old rags. He’d lean against her, ruffle her hair, and treat her like a normal human being. This was revolutionary for Audrey. Everyone else treated her like she was made of glass. O'Toole treated her like a pal.
What People Miss About the "Love Affair"
Was there a romance? The tabloids in 1966 certainly wanted there to be. But the truth is deeper. They had a "complicity." They stayed friends until her death in 1993. When O'Toole spoke about her later in life, the "unhappy" comment wasn't a jab—it was a reflection of how much he cared about her well-being during a dark time in her life.
He saw the woman behind the "Gamine" mask.
How to Watch Them Today
If you want to see what real, unforced screen chemistry looks like, go back and watch the "Closet Scene" in How to Steal a Million.
Look at the way O'Toole watches her. He’s not waiting for his cue; he’s reacting to her. And look at Audrey. The "fidgety girl" O’Toole described is nowhere to be found. She’s grounded. She’s present. She’s funny.
Specific things to look for:
- The Eye Contact: They both had the most famous blue and brown eyes in cinema. The way they lock eyes in the Ritz hotel scene is legendary.
- The Laughter: Watch for the moments where Audrey looks like she’s about to break character. She usually is.
- The Jaguar: The scenes of them driving through Paris are iconic, mostly because they look like two kids who just stole their parents' car.
Actionable Steps for Classic Film Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Peter O Toole and Audrey Hepburn, don't just stop at the movie.
- Check out the photography of Terry O’Neill. He was on set in Paris and captured the candid, messy, non-glamorous moments between them. These photos show the real friendship that the movie posters hid.
- Compare the "Paris Movies." Watch Paris When It Sizzles (with William Holden) and then watch How to Steal a Million. You will immediately see the difference between "contractual chemistry" and "real sparks."
- Listen to the John Williams score. This was one of his early works. He intentionally wrote "extroverted" music to match their energy, and it makes the heist feel like a dance rather than a crime.
The legacy of Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn isn't just a heist movie. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best thing for a "perfect" person is a "tall, good-looking, blue-eyed ruffian" to remind them how to laugh again.
Next time you see a clip of them, remember: they weren't just playing thieves. They were actually stealing moments of joy in a high-pressure industry that usually didn't allow for it. That's the real story.