Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield CBE | |
---|---|
Born | David Paul Scofield 21 January 1922 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
Died | 19 March 2008 Brighton, East Sussex, England | (aged 86)
Resting place | St Mary's Churchyard, Balcombe |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1940–2006[1] |
Spouse |
Joy Parker (m. 1943) |
Children | 2 |
David Paul Scofield
Scofield received the
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.
Early life and education
Paul Scofield was born on 21 January 1922 in
Scofield recalls, "I was a dunce at school. But at the age of twelve I went to
Career
1940–1959: Rise to prominence
Scofield began his stage career in 1940 with a debut performance in American playwright
In 1948, Scofield appeared as Hamlet at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford alongside a then unknown Claire Bloom as Ophelia. Scofield's performance was so highly praised that it caused him to be dubbed, "The Hamlet of his generation."[12] He was also Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice with Bloom as an Attendee. J.C. Trewin commented, "He is simply a timeless Hamlet... None could forget Scofield's pathos, the face folded in grief, at, 'When you are desirous to be blessed, I'll blessing beg of you.' We have known many correct, almost formal Hamlets, aloof from Elsinore. Scofield was ever a prisoner within its bounds: the world had many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one of the worst."[13]
John Harrison, Director of the
Scofield's versatility at the height of his career is exemplified by his starring roles in theatrical productions as diverse as the musical Expresso Bongo (1958) and Peter Brook's celebrated production of King Lear (1962). Brook wrote in his memoir, Threads of Time, "The door at the back of the set opened, and a small man entered. He was wearing a black suit, steel-rimmed glasses and holding a suitcase. For a moment we wondered who this stranger was and why he was wandering onto our stage. Then we realised that it was Paul, transformed. His tall body had shrunk; he had become insignificant. The new character now possessed him entirely."[16]
1960–1979: A Man for All Seasons and acclaim
One of the highlights of Scofield's career in modern theatre is the role of Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons, which opened in July 1960. Scofield later referred to the part as the only time "my intuition for the part has failed me."[17] Theatre reviewers published very harsh criticism of Scofield's performance at first, which forced him to "start from scratch and just work on facts, making myself totally faithful to what was on the page". After realizing "I had to find the way the man would feel; then I was able to find the way he should sound", and the vital importance of conveying complete sincerity and humility when "playing a man of spiritual depth", Scofield successfully developed a means of performing as Thomas More through trial and error.[18]
When Fred Zinnemann was first approached about directing
Even though defying the studio's casting wishes forced him to film A Man For All Seasons on a shoestring budget, Fred Zinnemann felt very differently about Scofield and later recalled of the film shoot, "For the first few days the crew did their usual work very well, the way they would have done any job, but on the third day, when Scofield made his speech about the majesty of the law, they were suddenly mesmerized by the magic of those words and they remained that way throughout the rest of the filming. So totally did Paul convey the scope of More's character that for months afterwards I couldn't help but look at him in awe, as a saint rather than an actor."[22]
In 1964, Scofield acted in the John Frankenheimer war film The Train alongside Burt Lancaster. The film is set in August 1944 during World War II, it pits French Resistance-member Paul Labiche (Lancaster) against German Colonel Franz von Waldheim (Scofield), who is attempting to move stolen art masterpieces by train to Germany. The film received positive acclaim and was ranked as one of the best films by the National Board of Review.
Writing in 1961, Scofield explained, "Output in the theatre requires greater energy than anything else I know. Doubt of one's energy is the worst of all. One's output in the theatre requires energy of a sort that is never a factor in family life. Family energy generates itself. Social life outside the family can be exhausting. I don't care much for social life with people in the theatre. I'm rather good at being with people when I want to make the effort, but I'm bad at listening to people when I know what they're going to say. It isn't very interesting, and on the whole it's very draining. The interesting thing in the theatre is the work and working with people. I usually like the people in the work, but I can't go on with them outside the work as long as most actors can. And when I'm working on a part I'm thinking about it all the time, going over all the possibilities in my mind. I like to be alone when I'm working."[23]
In a career devoted chiefly to the classical theatre, Scofield starred in many
Scofield also appeared as Charles Dyer in Dyer's play
1980–1999
Scofield was cast in the lead role of Sir Randolph Nettleby in the 1985 film The Shooting Party, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury he suffered on set. According to the DVD extras documentary for the film, Scofield and the other male lead actors were to come into shot on a horse-drawn shooting brake driven by the renowned film horse-master George Mossman as the first shot of the first day of filming. As they turned the first corner, the plank that Mossman was standing on broke in two and he was hurled forward and down, falling between the sets of wheels and taking the reins with him. He was struck by a horse's hoof and concussed. The horses shied and broke into a gallop. Actor Rupert Frazer admitted that he was the first to jump off, landing safely, but bruised. Out of control, the horses turned to the right when confronted by a stone wall, causing the shooting brake to roll completely, catapulting the actors into a pile of scaffolding that had been stacked next to the wall. Robert Hardy stood up and realised to his amazement that he was unhurt. He looked across to see Edward Fox stand up, "turn completely green and collapse in a heap", having broken five ribs and his shoulder blade. He noticed that Scofield was lying very still on the ground "and I saw that his shin-bone was sticking out through his trousers". As the film takes place in October during the partridge-shooting season, the filmmakers had to make a choice whether to delay filming for a year or re-cast. The Shooting Party schedule was ultimately changed to allow James Mason to take over the part of Sir Randolph Nettleby six weeks later.[25] Scofield's broken leg also deprived him of the part of O'Brien in Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which he was replaced by Richard Burton.[26]
Helen Mirren, who appeared with Scofield in the 1989 film When the Whales Came, said, "He aspires to the soul rather than the character. He has no sense of personal ambition. He's one of our great, great actors. We're lucky to have him."[27] Scofield also portrayed the Ghost in Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 film adaptation of Hamlet alongside Mel Gibson in the title role. Despite being an A-list actor at the time, Gibson, who had grown up idolising Scofield, compared the experience of performing Shakespeare alongside him to being, "thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson".[28] Scofield, on the other hand, never felt similarly intimidated and later recalled about working with Gibson, "Not the actor you'd think would make an ideal Hamlet, but he had enormous integrity and intelligence."[29] Scofield portrayed Professor Moroi in the film of János Nyíri's If Winter Comes (1980), for BBC Television; poet Mark Van Doren in Robert Redford's film Quiz Show (1994), and Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth in Nicholas Hytner's film adaptation (1996) of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
Personal life and death
Paul Scofield married actress Joy Mary Parker on 15 May 1943.
Paul and Joy Scofield had two children: Martin (born 1945) who became a senior lecturer in English and American literature at the University of Kent[32] and Sarah (born 1951). When asked by Garry O'Connor how he wished to be remembered, Scofield responded "If you have a family, that is how to be remembered."[33] When O'Connor asked about his seventieth birthday, Scofield replied, "Birthdays are a bore, really. It's true, I do like my fallow times... I hate missing anything that might be happening outside on a summer evening, something in the garden."[34] Filmmaker Michael Winner accordingly described Paul and Joy Scofield as "one of the few very happily married couples I've ever met."[35]
Scofield died from leukaemia[36] on 19 March 2008 at the age of 86 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital[2] in Brighton, East Sussex, England. His memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey on the first anniversary of his death.[2] His wife Joy died four years later on 7 November 2012, aged 90.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | That Lady | King Philip II of Spain | Terence Young | |
1958 | Carve Her Name with Pride | Tony Fraser | Lewis Gilbert | |
1964 | The Train | Col. von Waldheim | John Frankenheimer | |
1966 | A Man for All Seasons | Sir Thomas More | Fred Zinnemann | |
1968 | Tell Me Lies | Guest | Peter Brook | |
1969 | The Red Tent | The Main Judge | Mikhail Kalatozov | Uncredited |
1970 | Bartleby | The Accountant | Anthony Friedman | |
Nijinsky: Unfinished Project | Sergei Diaghilev | Tony Richardson | ||
1971 | King Lear
|
King Lear | Peter Brook | |
1973 | Scorpio | Zharkov | Michael Winner | |
A Delicate Balance | Tobias | Tony Richardson | ||
1983 | Ill Fares the Land | Narrator | Bill Bryden | Voice |
1984 | Summer Lightning | Old Robert Clarke | Paul Joyce | |
1985 | 1919 | Alexander Scherbatov | Hugh Brody | |
1989 | When the Whales Came | Zachariah "The Birdman" Woodcock | Clive Reeves | |
Henry V | Charles VI of France | Kenneth Branagh | ||
1990 | Hamlet | The Ghost
|
Franco Zeffirelli | |
1992 | Utz | Doctor Vaclav Orlik | George Sluizer | |
London | Narrator | Patrick Keiller | ||
1994 | Quiz Show | Mark Van Doren | Robert Redford | |
1996 | The Crucible | Judge Thomas Danforth | Nicholas Hytner | |
1997 | Robinson in Space | Narrator | Patrick Keiller | |
1999 | Animal Farm | Boxer | John Stephenson | Voice |
Rashi: A Light After the Dark Ages | Ashley Lazarus | Voice |
Television
Year
1977 |
Title
The Ambassadors |
Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1965 | The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill | Narrator | ITV television special | |
1969 | Male of the Species | Sir Emlyn Bowen | Television movie | |
1980 | If Winter Comes | Professor Moroi | Television movie | |
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Narrator | Voice; Television movie | ||
1981 | Celebrity Playhouse | James Callifer | Episode: The Potting Shed | |
1984 | Arena: The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel | Narrator | ||
1985 | Anna Karenina | Karenin | Television Movie | |
1987 | Mister Corbett's Ghost | Mr. Corbett | Television movie | |
1988 | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | Otto Frank | Television movie | |
1994 | Genesis: The Creation and the Flood | Narrator | Voice | |
Martin Chuzzlewit | Old Martin Chuzzlewit Anthony Chuzzlewit |
6 episodes | ||
1999 | The Disabled Century | Narrator | Voice; 3 episodes |
Awards and honours
Scofield was appointed
Scofield was subsequently nominated as
When asked the reason for his decision to decline the knighthood, Scofield responded, "I have every respect for people who are offered [a knighthood] and accept it gratefully. It is just not an aspect of life that I would want."
Discography
Paul Scofield led the cast in several dramas issued by
- King Lear, directed by Howard Sackler (Text edited by G.B. Harrison), with Pamela Brown (Goneril), Rachel Roberts (Regan), Ann Bell (Cordelia); Wallace Eaton (France), John Rogers (Burgundy), Trevor Martin (Cornwall), Michael Aldridge (Albany), Andrew Keir (Kent), Cyril Cusack (Gloucester), Robert Stephens (Edgar), John Stride (Edmund), Ronnie Stevens (Fool); Arthur Hewlett (Curan, Doctor), Ronald Ibbs (Gentleman, Knight), Willoughby Goddard (Oswald). Eight sides, SRS 233 (first published 1965).
- Hamlet, directed by Howard Sackler, (Unabridged), with Diana Wynyard (Queen), Roland Culver (Claudius), Donald Houston (Laertes), Zena Walker (Ophelia), Wilfrid Lawson. Eight sides, SRS 232 (first published 1963).
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Howard Sackler, with Barbara Jefford, Joy Parker, John Stride, etc. Six sides, SRS 208 (first published 1964).
- T.S. Eliot, The Family Reunion, with Flora Robson, Sybil Thorndike, Alan Webb. Six sides, TRS 308.
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, with Ralph Richardson as Scrooge. Scofield only narrated. (Caedmon)
- T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral, full-cast recording of the play, directed by Howard Sackler, Scofield as Thomas a Becket, with Cyril Cusack, Julian Glover, Michael Gwynn, Alec McCowen, Geoffrey Dunn, Anthony Nicholls, Patrick Magee, Harry Andrews, Douglas Wilmer, James Hayter, Michael Aldridge, Cathleen Nesbitt, Glenda Jackson, Wendy Hiller, June Jago, Stephen Moore. Caedmon 1968 [TRS-330; LC R68-3173]
Also:
- Homage to T.S. Eliot, with Laurence Olivier, John Le Mesurier, Cleo Laine, Bernard Cribbins, George Devine, Groucho Marx, Alec McGowen, Anna Quayle, Clive Revill, Ian Richardson, and Nicol Williamson (1965)
- King Lear, with Harriet Walter (Goneril), Sara Kestelman (Regan), Emilia Fox (Cordelia), Alec McCowen (Gloucester), Kenneth Branagh (Fool), David Burke, Richard A. McCabe, Toby Stephens, etc. Released 2002 to coincide with Scofield's 80th birthday. (Naxos Audiobooks, 3-CD set).
- Virgil, The Aeneid, Paul Scofield (narrator), Jill Balcon and Toby Stephens (readers). (Naxos Audiobook CD).
- T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land and Four Quartets (BBC Radiobooks CD).
- Sandor Marai, Embers (Penguin Audiobooks) – Narrator
- With David Suchet and Ron Moody, Scofield led the cast of a radio dramatization of the C.S. Lewis, which are available as CD issues. (Tynedale Entertainment) – Narrator
- Scofield recorded abridged readings of Dickens's A Christmas Carol and Bleak House (Blackstone Audiobooks).
- Façade (Sitwell-Walton), performed by Paul Scofield and Peggy Ashcroft, with London Sinfonietta conducted by William Walton. (Argo Records, 1972)
- Don Quixote: The Musical, with Roy Hudd as Sancho Panza. Based on Purcell and D'Urfey's The Comical History of Don Quixote. Later released on CD.(Musica Oscura, 1994)
(For a more exhaustive list, see this note:[66])
Notes
- ^ Tied with Rod Steiger for In the Heat of the Night.
References
- ^ 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/
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/100133. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ "Full text of "The Player A Profile Of An Art"". Simon And Schuster. 1961. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-87910-020-9
- ^ O'Connor (2002), pp. 19–20.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 21.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, p. 11.
- ^ Paul Scofield biography. Access date: 16 November 2007.
- ^ Edited by Tony Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (1970), Actors on Acting: The Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the World's Great Actors Told in Their Own Words, Crown Publisher's, Inc. Pages 421.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 25.
- ^ Film Reference biography. Access date: 16 November 2007.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 70.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 72.
- ^ a b Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 76.
- ^ Leaving A Doll's House, p. 43.
- ^ Peter Brook, Threads of Time. A Memoir. Counterpoint, 1999.
- ^ Edited by Tony Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (1970), Actors on Acting: The Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the World's Great Actors Told in Their Own Words, Crown Publisher's, Inc. Page 421.
- ^ Edited by Tony Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (1970), Actors on Acting: The Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the World's Great Actors Told in Their Own Words, Crown Publisher's, Inc. Pages 421-422.
- ^ Fred Zinnemann (1992), A Life in the Movies: An Autobiography, Charles Scribner Sons. Page 198.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 191-192.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 192.
- ^ Fred Zinnemann (1992), A Life in the Movies: An Autobiography, Charles Scribner Sons. Page 202-204.
- ^ Edited by Tony Cole and Helen Krich Chinoy (1970), Actors on Acting: The Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the World's Great Actors Told in Their Own Words, Crown Publisher's, Inc. Pages 419-420.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 69.
- ^ "Obituary: Paul Scofield". BBC News. 20 March 2008.
- ^ "In Conversation with Michael Radford", Sky Arts 18 October 2013
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 300.
- ^ "Paul Scofield's career highlights". The Daily Telegraph. London. 20 March 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 302.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 38.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 39.
- ^ ISBN 1-55783-499-7.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 150.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 301.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 250.
- ^ "Oscar-winning actor Scofield dies". BBC News Online. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
- ^ "The 39th Academy Awards (1967) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
- ^ "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ^ "Bodil Prize 1971". Bodil Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1956". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1968". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1995". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1997". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Television in 1995". British Academy Television Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Paul Scofield". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Paul Scofield". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "KCFCC Award Winners – 1966-69". Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- London Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "5th Moscow International Film Festival (1967)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "1966 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. 19 December 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Awards – New York Film Critics Circle". New York Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Paul Scofield". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "International Press Academy website – 1997 1st Annual SATELLITE Awards". Archived from the original on 1 February 2008.
- ^ "1996 SEFA Awards". Southeastern Film Critics Association. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "1962 Tony Awards". Tony Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "No. 40669". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1955. p. 12.
- ^ Fred Zinnemann (1992), A Life in the Movies: An Autobiography, Charles Scribner Sons. Page 205.
- ^ Garry O'Connor, Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons, Applause Books (2002), p. 199-200.
- ^ Paul Scofield biography. Archived 24 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Barnes & Noble. Access date: 16 November 2007.
- ^ "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 4.
- ^ "Oxford University Gazette Encaenia 2002" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 320.
- ^ O'Connor (2002), p. 106.
- ^ Scofield's Lear voted the greatest Shakespeare performance. Telegraph.co.uk. 22 August 2004.
- ^ "Paul Scofield Audio Performances (radio drama, Audio Books, Spoken Word), 1940s–1950s". Scofieldsperformances.com. Retrieved 22 February 2011.