Paul Scofield | |
|---|---|
 Scofield in 1975 | |
| Born | David Paul Scofield 21 January 1922 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 19 March 2008 (aged 86) Brighton, East Sussex, England |
| Resting place | St Mary's Churchyard, Balcombe, West Sussex |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1940–2006[1] |
| Spouse |
Joy Parker (m. 1943) |
| Children | 2 |
David Paul Scofield CH CBE (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. Scofield established a reputation as one of the greatest Shakespearean performers. He declined the honour of a knighthood, but was appointed CBE in 1956 and became a CH in 2001.
Scofield received the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for portraying Sir Thomas More in the Broadway production of A Man for All Seasons (1962). Four years later, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor when he reprised the role in the 1966 film adaptation, making him one of eleven to receive a Tony and Academy Award for the same role. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Male of the Species (1969).
He garnered acclaim for his roles in films such as The Train (1964), King Lear (1971), A Delicate Balance (1973), Henry V (1989), and Hamlet (1990). He portrayed Mark Van Doren in the historical drama Quiz Show (1994), for which he earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. For his role as Thomas Danforth in the film adaptation of The Crucible (1996) he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
- ^ Ian McKellen says Scofield's last public performance was on 19 April 2004, http://www.mckellen.com/writings/tribute/080330ps.htm. Scofield recorded his last radio play, "Swan Song" in 2006. He is credited with an appearance on BBC's "Poetry Please" program on 27 January 2008, but it is not clear if the recording was made from a live performance or whether material from the BBC archives was used. http://www.scofieldsperformances.com/