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The Oscar-winning British stage and screen actor Paul Scofield has died at the age of 86. Scofield, one of the finest classical actors of his generation, won his Academy award as well as a Bafta, in 1967 for his role as Sir Thomas More, the 16th century Lord Chancellor executed by Henry VIII, in the film of Robert Bolt s A Man for All Seasons. Starting his career in 1940 - he rose to prominence in Stratford-upon-Avon - he was noted for Shakespearean roles and was ranked alongside Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson as the country s greatest stage stars of the mid-20th century. In 2004, a poll of actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Ian McKellen, Donald Sinden, Janet Suzman and Anthony Sher, acclaimed his performance as King Lear as the greatest Shakespearean performance ever. On at least two occasions occasions he refused a knighthood, though he finally agreed to become a Companion of Honour in 2001. He died peacefully yesterday in a hospital near his home in Sussex, his agent Rosalind Chatto said. He had been suffering from leukemia. He married the actress Joy Parker in 1943 and the couple had two children, Martin, who became a lecturer in 19th century English literature at kent University, and Sarah. The highlights of his theatrical career included the stage version of A Man for All Seasons, the title role in Ben Jonson s Volpone at the National Theatre in 1977, and playing Antonio Salieri in the original production in 1979 of Peter Shaffer s Amadeus. Major film roles included Amadeus, Expresso Bongo, Staircase, The Ambassadors and The Crucible. Lord Olivier, who ran the National Theatre in the 1960s and 1970s, was said to have been so jealous of Scofield that he repeatedly rejected him for leading roles. One of his strangest decisions was to accept the lead in Jeffrey Archer s short-lived West End play, Exclusive. Gary O Connor, Scofield s biographer, said: Paul liked the script, but then Archer changed it. But he had no regrets doing it. I was a class mate of Paul's at Varndean in Brighton from 1933 to 1938 and went to all the school's productions (we were a Shakespeare school). His first role was as Juliet as his voice hadn't broken yet. He was superb despite wiggling his toes on the bier during Romeo's lament! Next he was Hamlet - he brought him to life. Paul was a superb actor. Regretfully I never saw him act after leaving school. hello sailor! I was lucky to see his unforgettable performances:King Lear,Salieri,Don Qujote,Judge Danforth... One can rightly use the clich "a born Let us never forget P.A. Gasper of Varndean who launched our hero on his spectacular journey. As Varndeanians he A most tragic loss of such an amazing actor. I never shall tire of watching A Man For All Seasons, absolutely my favourite movie. Paul Scofield was an actor admired immensely. A titanic talent has left us. I saw him both here in the US and in London. His final stage assignment (1996) found him at a peak: Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman" at the National Theatre, acting with Vanessa Redgrave, Dame Eileen Atkins, and the late Michael Bryant. Theatre doesn't get any greater than that. A great loss. As an actor, he was truly the greatest of the greats. He was also a thoroughly fine human being. I have very little regard for acting or actors in general(sorry). But he was the one exception and I revered him. My sincere condolences to his family. I could watch his mastery in A Man for All Seasons a thousand times and always see some new inflection or gesture or change of tone that I had missed. He was a masterpiece in theatre. I am happy that I was able to experience his unselfconcious genius. How wonderful to see Monty Norman's comment. I feel as if I one of a very small number who saw and loved him in "Expresso Bongo". Strange -I note the omission of any mention of Paul Schofield's Radio work - showing my age I guess, I was most impressed with two magical productions on the BBC- namely "Le Grand Meaulne" where I believe Mr Schofield was the Narrator and some little while later,his performance in "The Devils of Loudon" as Urbain Grandier, affected me so deeply, such that, I have always remembered them and after some 50 odd years still can hear his wonderful voice which could project effortlessly such varied levels of emotion whilst remaining essentially level and, oh, so civilised. To The Schofield Family: Another great Shakespearean is dead. They are all fast disappearing. Britain used to be fertile ground for the raising and training of such fine talents for extremely difficult roles: Timon, Lear, Titus, Falstaff (Quayle), Coriolanus (Burton), Prospero (Hordern). Those days are gone. Soon Shakespeare will vanish entirely from view, and be forgotten. Three cheers for "pop-culture"! This day is a sad reminder that democratic philistinism will soon be utterly victorious. I had the honour of working with Paul Scoffield at the RSC in the sixties. He was obviously a great actor but what I remeber most was his gentle manner and humility. To 'Sco" everyone was his equal, actor, musician, stage hand and dresser. As a teenager I saw Schofield as Alexander the Great in Rattigan's ADVENTURE STORY.His performance thrilled me more than any other I have witnessed in the 60 or so years since. Simon Callow's description of Paul Scofield as A genius can watch him and listen to him over and over again in anything Franceshe has ever done even my children listen to his voice and marvelthank god for dvds I am a twenty-seven year old American actor, and Paul Scofields performance of King Lear will stay with me forever. A great actor and an anachronism in the current celebrity age. His is a legacy that will endure. Thank you for the immense shock of King Lear when a titan roared in anguish. I watched the A Man For All Seasons only two weeks ago on DVD, having first seen the film more than forty years ago, and could not stop marvelling at the powerful oratory of Sir Thomas More and the all consuming acting of Paul Scofield. God bless his soul Apart from seeing lots of his Shakespeare roles, I saw him in a TV drama in the 60/70s?. He was playing a man involved with a woman not his wife. Cant remember anything else about it except one line the woman said to him "You dazzle me!" And I felt exactly the same. His portrayal of St. Thomas More remains one of my favorite movie scenes. May he rest in peace and God be merciful on his soul. Paul Schofield was a truly great actor but also an intensely private man. This allowed the audience to have a pure relationship with all the extraordinary roles he played, unencumbered by 'personality' or gossip about his own life. Most of us did not know him; we just experienced his astonishing gift. What about his performance as the Chuzzlewit brothers? Paul Scofield - the very best of the best, with a resonant and distinctive voice. An amazing talent and a sad loss. One of the greats of British stage and screen. What a sad day for the theatre and screen industry. He will be missed. Truly a great actor. I am an American who traveled to London with a friend for one week's holiday in 1977. We had fourth row centre seats to see Paul Scofield and John Gielgud in "Volpone" at the National, and the experience was not only a highlight of the trip but also a treasured memory ever since. I first saw the movie man for all season's, i liked this man and i have tried to watch anything he did ,a great loss .but thanks you for the great movie moments , Paul Scofield dying. R.I.P., I always feel sad in Holy Week, the most important festival in the Christian calender. The Passion of Christ. Paul will be greatly missed. I watch the video 'A Man For all Seasons' it always moves me to tears. My condolenses to his family. Paul Scofield dying. R.I.P., I always feel sad in Holy Week, the most important festival in the Christian calender. The Passion of Christ. Paul will be greatly missed. I watch the video 'A Man For all Seasons' it always moves me to tears. My condolenses to his family. Most refreshing to see such men exist in this As an 11 year old New York City girl in 1966, I knew that I just saw an I remember seeing A Man for all Seasons as a teenager and later seeing The Tempest in London and beeing moved by both performances. Another acting great has gone. A good man and a great actor. We were blessed to have him on stage and screen for so many years. One of the greatest British actors of all time ... young actors could learn from the late Paul Scofield. I haven't seen any mention of his understated yet wonderful work on Patrick Keiller's London or Robinson in Space - both of them later works from the 1990's and well worth rediscovering on DVD. Scofield was not in the film version of Amadeus. Having seen the play, I was disappointed that the major roles in the film did not go to him and Callow. I saw Olivier's Othello in 1964, as well as Gielgud and Richardson in the classics; but easily the greatest stage performance I have seen in my life was the seventh performance of Paul Scofoeld's King Lear at Stratford in 1962 in Peter Brook's Endgame production. Memory eternal. for me, he was the greatest British actor, the best Hamlet, the finest speaking voice. I saw almost everything he acted in over the past 50 or so years Ishall miss his wonderful voice but glas to have a Man for all seasons on dvd. His portrayal of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons was some of the finest acting I have ever seen.I still play the DVD from time to time and it always manages to move me. A very fine actor, for some the finest of his generation, of great range and verstility and great subtleness. I worked with him at Stratford and he was the least showy, most humble and sensitive but the greatest actor I ever worked with. Although serious in countenance a winning, friendly smile was never far below the surface. He was unfailingly helpful and supportive and will be remembered with great fondness and respect by this, then young, stage manager. I thought you were wonderful in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. You will be missed. He was one of a very small, gifted fraternity, an actor whose words could send chills up your back. Surely one of Paul Schofield's most memorable roles was playing the two brothers, Hugo and Frederic, in Jean Anouilh's Ring Round the Moon which I remember seeing in late January 1950 at the Globe. A play translated by his Sussex neighbour Christopher Fry I will forever remember Paul Scofield. What a lost to the profession. He was a ture Thespian. I thought his performance in "A Man for all Seasons" was simply beyond praise. So sad. A great loss, an amazing actor. what a gift he gave to us all. Hands down the greatest actor I ever saw in a theatre. His life was an example to all those in the public spotlight. one of the greatest actors ever. Sir Thomas More will live in my memory always. The wonderful scene in his cell with Dame wendy hiller was majestic. RIP Such a private and dignified man. A huge talent. God Bless. As one of the composers of EXPRESSO BONGO I was proud to work with Paul on his only stage musical. He was a joy to work(and be)with. He brought all his magnificent stagecraft to the show. I worked closely with him on his songs, especially the blues number:'The Gravy Train. He went at it with the same dedication he brought to Shakespeare and Ben Johnson. He will be sorely missed. One of the Greatest Actors of his When I was a BBC staff producer, I recorded Paul several times. When he was reading the last part of Tolstois Death of Ivan Ilych, the PA turned to me, with tears in her eyes, and said, Hes dying. Of the actors I worked with, he was easily the humblest and, I have to say it, the best. Please remember that the submission of any material to telegraph.co.uk is governed by our Your name: Your email address: Your site's URL: Please click the post button only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

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