O'Toole to play pope in 'The Tudors'

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London -- British actor Peter O'Toole will follow his Oscar-nominated role as an aging actor who finds love in "Venus," by playing a pope in "The Tudors" on Showtime.

The actor is booked for seven episodes during the second season of the U.S. cable network's hit period series, Variety said. O'Toole will film his segments later this year for airing next spring.

The second season storyline will follow the historic showdown between O'Toole's Pope Paul III and Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Henry VIII.

"Peter O'Toole is the holy grail for 'The Tudors,'" Showtime Entertainment President Robert Greenblatt told Variety. "We needed someone of enormous stature to play Pope Paul III, who faced off against Henry VIII in his bid to get his divorce from Katherine of Aragon."

O'Toole has appeared in television miniseries before, Greenblatt said, noting "The Tudors" role will mark the actor's first regular role in a series.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.