Paul Scofield

Lore & Background

Paul Scofield was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, to Mary and Edward Harry Scofield. His family moved to Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, where his father became headmaster. Scofield described his upbringing as divided between his father's Anglicanism and his mother's Roman Catholicism, saying, 'some days we were little Protestants and, on others, we were all devout little Catholics.' He recalled being a dunce at school until age twelve, when he discovered Shakespeare at Varndean School in Brighton. He left school at seventeen to train at the Croydon Repertory Theatre, and was ruled unfit for army service due to crossed toes.

Scofield began his stage career in 1940 with a debut in Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms. He played at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, where his 1948 Hamlet earned him the label 'The Hamlet of his generation.' He later starred in the musical Expresso Bongo and Peter Brook's King Lear. His role as Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1962) won him a Tony Award; he reprised the role in the 1966 film adaptation, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Male of the Species (1969).

Reader's Guide

Paul Scofield's significance lies in his rapid achievement of the Triple Crown of Acting—winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony in just seven years, a record unmatched by any other actor. He is particularly noted for his portrayal of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, for which he won both a Tony and an Oscar, making him one of eleven actors to receive both awards for the same role. His reputation as a leading Shakespearean performer was cemented by his acclaimed Hamlet and King Lear. Scofield's career spanned stage and screen, with notable film roles in The Train, King Lear, A Delicate Balance, Henry V, Hamlet, Quiz Show (earning an Oscar nomination), and The Crucible (winning a BAFTA). He declined knighthood three times but accepted a CBE and later a CH. His legacy endures as a model of intuitive, deeply committed acting.

Did You Know?

• Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in just seven years, the fastest of any actor.
• He declined a knighthood on three separate occasions: in 1968, 1974, and 1987.
• He was one of eleven actors to win both a Tony and an Academy Award for the same role (Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons).
• Scofield was ruled unfit for military service during World War II because of crossed toes.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects, that I wanted, as it were, to leave an impression of a particular kind of human being." — Paul Scofield "King Lear is undoubtedly the greatest play ever written by Shakespeare — or anybody else for that matter. Hamlet is certainly great, but it doesn't contain as many elements of humanity as we see in Lear." — Paul Scofield "Oh, I suppose my wife and I will open a bottle of champagne with another couple." — Paul Scofield "I decided a long time ago I didn’t want to be a star personality and live my life out in public.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to wave personality about like a flag and become labeled." — Paul Scofield