Paul Winfield
Encyclopedia
Paul Edward Winfield was an American television, film, and stage actor
. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana
sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression
in the landmark film Sounder
which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Winfield also portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award
.
, California
to Lois Beatrice Edwards, a union
organizer in the garment industry. His stepfather from the age of eight was Clarence Winfield, a city trash collector and construction worker
. He attended Manual Arts High School
, the University of Portland
, Stanford University
, Los Angeles City College
and the University of California at Los Angeles.
. Winfield first became well-known to television audiences when he appeared for several years opposite Diahann Carroll on the groundbreaking television series
Julia
. Filmed during a high point of racial tensions in the United States, the show was unique in featuring an African-American female as the central character. He also starred as Martin Luther King, Jr.
in the 1978 miniseries
King
.
In 1973, Winfield was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
for the 1972 film Sounder
, and his co-star in that film, Cicely Tyson
, was nominated for Best Actress
. Prior to their nominations, only three other African American
s - Dorothy Dandridge
, Sidney Poitier
and James Earl Jones
- had ever been nominated for a leading role. He also appeared, in a different role, in the 2003 Disney-produced television remake of Sounder
, which was directed by Kevin Hooks
, his co-star from the original. Winfield played the part of “Jim the Slave” in Huckleberry Finn
(1974) which was a musical based on the novel by Mark Twain
. Winfield would recall late in his career that as a young actor he had played one of the two leads in Of Mice and Men
in local repertory, made up in whiteface, since a black actor playing it would have been unthinkable. Winfield also starred in the miniseries, including Scarlett
, and two based on the works of novelist Alex Haley
: Roots: The Next Generations
and Queen: The Story of an American Family
.
Winfield gained a new segment of fans for his brief but memorable roles in several science fiction
TV programs and movies. He portrayed Starfleet Captain Clark Terrell of the U.S.S. Reliant, an unwilling minion of Khan Noonien Singh
, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
and Lt. Traxler, a friendly but crusty cop partnered with Lance Henriksen
in The Terminator
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
. In 1996 he was part of the 'name' ensemble cast in Tim Burton
's comic homage to 1950's science fiction
Mars Attacks!
, playing the complacently self-satisfied Lt-Gen. Casey. On the small screen Star Trek franchise, he appeared as an alien captain who communicates in metaphor
in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "Darmok". He also appeared in the second season Babylon 5
episode "Gropos
" as General Richard Franklin, the father of regular character Dr. Stephen Franklin
and on the fairy tale sitcom "The Charmings
" as The Evil Queen's wise-cracking Magic Mirror.
Winfield also took on roles as gay characters in the films Mike's Murder
in 1984 and again in 1998 in the film Relax...It's Just Sex
. He found success off-camera due to his unique voice. He provided voices on the cartoon
s Spider-Man
, The Magic School Bus
, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
, Batman Beyond
, Gargoyles, K10C
, and The Simpsons
, on the latter voicing the Don King parody
Lucius Sweet. In his voiceover career, he is perhaps best known as the narrator for the A&E
true crime series City Confidential
, a role he began in 1998 and continued with until his death in 2004.
Throughout his career, Winfield frequently managed to perform in the theater. His only Broadway
production, Checkmates, in 1988, co-starring Ruby Dee
, was also the Broadway debut of Denzel Washington
. He also appeared in productions at the Mark Taper Forum
in Los Angeles, and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Winfield was nominated for an Emmy Award
for his performance in the King
and Roots: The Next Generations
. He won an Emmy Award
, in 1995, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his appearance as Judge Harold Nance in an episode of the CBS
drama Picket Fences
.
in his private life, but remained discreet about it in the public eye. His partner of 30 years, architect
Charles Gillan, Jr., died on March 5, 2002 of bone cancer.
Winfield long battled obesity
and diabetes. He died of a heart attack
in 2004 at the age of 64, at Queen of Angels–Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
in Los Angeles. Winfield and Gillan are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in Los Angeles.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the landmark film Sounder
Sounder (film)
Sounder is a 1972 film starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews, Taj Mahal, Eric Hooks and Janet MacLachlan. It was adapted by Lonne Elder III and directed by Martin Ritt from the 1970 Newbery Medal-winning novel Sounder by William H...
which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Winfield also portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
.
Early years
Winfield was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Lois Beatrice Edwards, a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizer in the garment industry. His stepfather from the age of eight was Clarence Winfield, a city trash collector and construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
. He attended Manual Arts High School
Manual Arts High School
Manual Arts High School is a secondary school in Los Angeles, California. When founded, Manual Arts was a vocational high school, but later converted to a traditional curriculum.-History:...
, the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
and the University of California at Los Angeles.
Career
Winfield carved out a diverse career in film, television, theater and voiceovers by taking ground breaking roles at a time when African-American actors were rarely cast. His first major feature film role was in the 1969 film, The Lost Man starring Sidney PoitierSidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
. Winfield first became well-known to television audiences when he appeared for several years opposite Diahann Carroll on the groundbreaking television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Julia
Julia (TV series)
Julia is an American sitcom notable for being one of the first weekly series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Previous television series featured African American lead characters, but the characters were usually servants. The show starred actress and singer Diahann...
. Filmed during a high point of racial tensions in the United States, the show was unique in featuring an African-American female as the central character. He also starred as Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
in the 1978 miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
King
King (miniseries)
King is a television miniseries based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the American civil rights leader and 1964 Nobel Laureate. It aired for three consecutive nights on NBC from February 12 through 14, 1978...
.
In 1973, Winfield was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for the 1972 film Sounder
Sounder (film)
Sounder is a 1972 film starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews, Taj Mahal, Eric Hooks and Janet MacLachlan. It was adapted by Lonne Elder III and directed by Martin Ritt from the 1970 Newbery Medal-winning novel Sounder by William H...
, and his co-star in that film, Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson is an American actress. A successful stage actress, Tyson is also known for her Oscar-nominated role in the film Sounder and the television movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots....
, was nominated for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
. Prior to their nominations, only three other African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s - Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
, Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
and James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
- had ever been nominated for a leading role. He also appeared, in a different role, in the 2003 Disney-produced television remake of Sounder
Sounder (film)
Sounder is a 1972 film starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews, Taj Mahal, Eric Hooks and Janet MacLachlan. It was adapted by Lonne Elder III and directed by Martin Ritt from the 1970 Newbery Medal-winning novel Sounder by William H...
, which was directed by Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....
, his co-star from the original. Winfield played the part of “Jim the Slave” in Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn (1974 film)
Huckleberry Finn is the 1974 musical film version of Mark Twain's American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.The movie was produced by Reader's Digest and Arthur P. Jacobs and starred Jeff East as Huckleberry Finn and Paul Winfield as Jim...
(1974) which was a musical based on the novel by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
. Winfield would recall late in his career that as a young actor he had played one of the two leads in Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
in local repertory, made up in whiteface, since a black actor playing it would have been unthinkable. Winfield also starred in the miniseries, including Scarlett
Scarlett (novel)
Scarlett is a novel written in 1991 by Alexandra Ripley as a sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The book debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list, but both critics and fans of the original novel found Ripley's version to be inconsistent with the literary quality of Gone with...
, and two based on the works of novelist Alex Haley
Alex Haley
Alexander Murray Palmer Haley was an African-American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the coauthor of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.-Early life:...
: Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte...
and Queen: The Story of an American Family
Queen: The Story of an American Family
Queen: The Story of an American Family is a 1993 partly factual historical novel by Alex Haley and David Stevens. It brought back to the consciousness of many White Americans the plight of the children of the plantation: the offspring of black slave women and their white masters, who were legally...
.
Winfield gained a new segment of fans for his brief but memorable roles in several science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
TV programs and movies. He portrayed Starfleet Captain Clark Terrell of the U.S.S. Reliant, an unwilling minion of Khan Noonien Singh
Khan Noonien Singh
Khan Noonien Singh, commonly shortened to Khan, is a villain in the fictional Star Trek universe. According to backstory given in the character's first appearance, the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Space Seed" , Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman tyrant who once controlled more...
, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
and Lt. Traxler, a friendly but crusty cop partnered with Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
in The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. In 1996 he was part of the 'name' ensemble cast in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's comic homage to 1950's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks!
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
, playing the complacently self-satisfied Lt-Gen. Casey. On the small screen Star Trek franchise, he appeared as an alien captain who communicates in metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "Darmok". He also appeared in the second season Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
episode "Gropos
Gropos
"Gropos" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Dr. Franklin's father, General Richard "Firestorm" Franklin aboard EAS Schwarzkopf, leads 25,000 EarthForce marines of the 356th Infantry Division, through the station en route to a secret...
" as General Richard Franklin, the father of regular character Dr. Stephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by the late Richard Biggs. He serves as the chief medical officer on the Babylon 5 space station.-Personality:...
and on the fairy tale sitcom "The Charmings
The Charmings
The Charmings is an American fantasy sitcom that aired from March 1987 to February 1988 on ABC.-Synopsis:The opening voice-over set-up the premise:...
" as The Evil Queen's wise-cracking Magic Mirror.
Winfield also took on roles as gay characters in the films Mike's Murder
Mike's Murder
Mike's Murder is the 1983 motion picture soundtrack album from the film of the same name. The album features original music by Joe Jackson....
in 1984 and again in 1998 in the film Relax...It's Just Sex
Relax...It's Just Sex
Relax...It’s Just Sex is a 1998 gay-oriented romantic comedy film....
. He found success off-camera due to his unique voice. He provided voices on the cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science written by author Joanna Cole. They feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar...
, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American animated television series that premiered March 26, 1995, on HBO. Narrated by Robert Guillaume, the series aired 39 episodes from 1995 to 2000, and is currently airing on the HBO Family digital cable television channel in the United...
, Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
, Gargoyles, K10C
K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments
Kids' Ten Commandments was a direct-to-video, five part series designed to teach the principles of the Ten Commandments to children. The series shows the life of a fictitious 11-year old boy named Seth. He and his friends, including a group of animals, each with their own personality and...
, and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, on the latter voicing the Don King parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
Lucius Sweet. In his voiceover career, he is perhaps best known as the narrator for the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
true crime series City Confidential
City Confidential
City Confidential is an American documentary television show, transmitted on the A&E Network, which singled out a community during each episode and investigated a crime that had occurred there. Rather than being a straighforward procedural, the installments began by focusing on the history and...
, a role he began in 1998 and continued with until his death in 2004.
Throughout his career, Winfield frequently managed to perform in the theater. His only Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production, Checkmates, in 1988, co-starring Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
, was also the Broadway debut of Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
. He also appeared in productions at the Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739 seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles, and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Winfield was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his performance in the King
King (miniseries)
King is a television miniseries based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the American civil rights leader and 1964 Nobel Laureate. It aired for three consecutive nights on NBC from February 12 through 14, 1978...
and Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte...
. He won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, in 1995, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his appearance as Judge Harold Nance in an episode of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama Picket Fences
Picket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
.
Personal life and death
Winfield was openly gayHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in his private life, but remained discreet about it in the public eye. His partner of 30 years, architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Charles Gillan, Jr., died on March 5, 2002 of bone cancer.
Winfield long battled obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and diabetes. He died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 2004 at the age of 64, at Queen of Angels–Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, formerly known as Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, is a private hospital located at 1300 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The hospital has 434 beds.-History:...
in Los Angeles. Winfield and Gillan are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Los Angeles.
Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Who's Minding the Mint? Who's Minding the Mint? Who's Minding the Mint? is a comedy movie from 1967 with elements of a caper film. Howard Morris directed a cast that included Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Walter Brennan and Milton Berle. It was produced by Norman Maurer for Columbia Pictures.... |
Garbage man | Uncredited |
| 1970 | R.P.M. | Steve Dempsey | |
| 1971 | Brother John | Henry Birkart | |
| 1972 | Trouble Man Trouble Man Trouble Man is a 1972 blaxploitation film produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Robert Hooks as "Mr. T.", a hard-edged private detective who tends to take justice into his own hands... |
Chalky Price | |
| 1972 | Sounder | Nathan Lee Morgan | |
| 1973 | Gordon's War Gordon's War Gordon's War is a 1973 action film written by Howard Friedlander and Ed Spielman, and directed by Ossie Davis. It stars Paul Winfield as Gordon Hudson.-Synopsis:... |
Gordon Hudson | |
| 1974 | Conrack Conrack (1974 film) Conrack is a 1974 film based on the 1972 autobiographical book The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy, directed by Martin Ritt and starring Jon Voight in the title role, alongside Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclair, Hume Cronyn and Antonio Fargas... |
Mad Billy | |
| 1975 | Hustle Hustle (1975 film) Hustle is a 1975 American neo-noir crime film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Reynolds, Catherine Deneuve, Ben Johnson, Paul Winfield, Eileen Brennan, Eddie Albert and Ernest Borgnine, which was released in 1975.-Cast:... |
Sergeant Louis Belgrave | |
| 1976 | High Velocity | Watson | |
| 1977 | Damnation Alley Damnation Alley (film) Damnation Alley is a 1977 film, directed by Jack Smight, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Roger Zelazny. The original music score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.-Plot:... |
Keegan | |
| 1977 | The Greatest | Lawyer | |
| 1977 | Twilight's Last Gleaming Twilight's Last Gleaming Twilight's Last Gleaming is a 1977 film directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark.Loosely based on a 1971 novel, Viper Three by Walter Wager, it tells the story of Lawrence Dell, a renegade USAF general, who escapes from a military prison and takes over an ICBM silo... |
Willis Powell | |
| 1978 | A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich (film) A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich is a 1978 film directed by Ralph Nelson. The screenplay was written by Alice Childress, based on her novel of the same name. It was shot on location in South Central Los Angeles. It was Nelson's last film before his death.-Synopsis:A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a... |
Butler | |
| 1981 | Carbon Copy Carbon Copy (film) Carbon Copy is a 1981 British-American comedy film, directed by Michael Schultz. The film stars George Segal, and features Denzel Washington.... |
Bob Garvey | |
| 1982 | White Dog White Dog White Dog is a 1982 American drama film directed by Samuel Fuller using a screenplay written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson loosely based on Romain Gary's 1970 novel of the same title... |
Keys | |
| 1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T... |
Captain Clark Terrell | |
| 1983 | On the Run | Harry | |
| 1984 | The Terminator The Terminator The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los... |
Lieutenant Ed Traxler | |
| 1986 | Blue City Blue City (film) Blue City is a 1986 drama film based on the 1947 Ross Macdonald novel of the same name about a young man who returns to a corrupt small town in Florida to avenge the death of his father... |
Luther Reynolds | |
| 1987 | Death Before Dishonor Death Before Dishonor Death Before Dishonor is a 1987 American action film directed by Terry Leonard.-Plot:Gunnery Sergeant Burns is in charge of the Marine Security Guard detachment at a United States embassy in the Middle East... |
Ambassador | |
| 1987 | Big Shots Big Shots (film) Big Shots is a 1987 American comedy adventure film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Ricky Busker and Darius McCrary.-Plot:An 11 year old boy from Hinsdale, Illinois named Obie Dawkins is out fishing with his father, who tells him about the birds and the bees. All the while Obie shows... |
Johnnie Red | |
| 1988 | The Serpent and the Rainbow | Lucien Celine | |
| 1990 | Presumed Innocent Presumed Innocent (film) Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Scott Turow, which tells the story of a prosecutor charged with the murder of his female colleague and mistress.... |
Judge Larren Lyttle | |
| 1993 | Cliffhanger Cliffhanger (film) Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a mountain climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains... |
Walter Wright | |
| 1993 | Dennis the Menace Dennis the Menace (film) Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name.... |
Chief of Police | |
| 1994 | The Killing Jar | Judge | Alternative title: Trapped |
| 1995 | In the Flesh | William Stone | |
| 1996 | Original Gangstas Original Gangstas Original Gangstas is a 1996 action movie set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree.... |
Rev. Dorsey | Alternative title: Hot City |
| 1996 | Mars Attacks! | Lieutenant General Casey | |
| 1997 | Strategic Command | Rowan | |
| 1998 | Assignment Berlin | Al Spector | |
| 1999 | Catfish in Black Bean Sauce Catfish in Black Bean Sauce Catfish in Black Bean Sauce is a 1999 comedy-drama film about a Vietnamese brother and sister raised by an African American couple. The film stars Chi Muoi Lo, Paul Winfield, Sanaa Lathan, and Mary Alice.-Plot:... |
Harold Williams | |
| 2000 | Knockout | Ron Regent | |
| 2001 | Vegas, City of Dreams Vegas, City of Dreams Vegas, City of Dreams is a drama film released in 2001. The film stars Joe Don Baker, Daniel Benzali, Carlos Bernard, and Erika Eleniak.-Film synopsis:... |
Edgar Jones | |
| 2002 | Second to Die Second to Die Second to Die is a thriller film released in 2002. The film stars Erika Eleniak, Jerry Kroll, and Colleen Camp.Tagline: "One murder is never enough"-Synopsis:... |
Detective Grady | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | Perry Mason Perry Mason (TV series) Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner... |
Mitch | 1 episode |
| 1966 | Daktari Daktari Daktari is an American children's drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series, an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television, stars Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian at the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East... |
Roy Kimba | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Cowboy in Africa Cowboy in Africa Cowboy in Africa is an ABC television series produced in 1967-1968 by Ivan Tors and starring Chuck Connors. A 1966 television pilot turned into a movie and released to cinemas starring Hugh O'Brian as Jim Sinclair was called Africa - Texas Style.-Plot:... |
Kabutu | 1 episode |
| 1968 | Mission: Impossible Mission: Impossible Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in... |
Klaus | 1 episode |
| 1969 | Mannix Mannix Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors... |
Walter Lucas | 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Young Rebels The Young Rebels The Young Rebels is an American adventure series that was broadcast by ABC as part of its 1970 fall lineup.-Plot:The Young Rebels was the story of a group of youthful guerrillas fighting on the Patriot side in the American Revolutionary War. They were part of the fictional "Yankee Doodle Society",... |
Pompey | 1 episode |
| 1973 | The Horror at 37,000 Feet | Dr. Enkalla | Television movie |
| 1974 | It's Good to Be Alive | Roy Campanella Roy Campanella Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball... |
Television movie |
| 1977 | Green Eyes | Lloyd Dubeck | Television movie |
| 1978 | King | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Miniseries |
| 1979 | Backstairs at the White House Backstairs at the White House (miniseries) Backstairs at the White House is a 1979 NBC television miniseries based on the book My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House by Lillian Rogers Parks... |
Emmett Rogers Sr | Miniseries |
| 1980 | Angel City | Cy | Television movie |
| 1981 | The Sophisticated Gents The Sophisticated Gents The Sophisticated Gents is a TV miniseries that aired on three consecutive nights from September 29 to October 1, 1981 on NBC. Its ensemble cast featured a number of African American stage and film actors, many of whom were customarily seen in Blaxploitation motion pictures in the 1970s. The... |
Richard "Bubbles" Wiggins | Television movie |
| 1982 | The Blue and the Gray | Jonathan Henry | Miniseries |
| 1983 | For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story is a made-for-television biopic that aired on PBS on March 22, 1983. The film was based on the book, For Us, the Living, by Myrlie Evers-Williams and William Peters.-Synopsis:... |
Television movie | |
| 1984 | The Fall Guy The Fall Guy The Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series... |
Bert Perkins | 1 episode |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Det. Lt. Starkey | 1 episode |
| 1986 | Under Siege | Andrew Simon | Television movie |
| 1987 | Mighty Pawns | Mr. Wright | Television movie |
| 1987–1988 | The Charmings The Charmings The Charmings is an American fantasy sitcom that aired from March 1987 to February 1988 on ABC.-Synopsis:The opening voice-over set-up the premise:... |
The Magic Mirror | 19 episodes |
| 1988–1990 | 227 227 (TV series) 227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins... |
Julian C. Barlow | 24 episodes |
| 1989 | The Women of Brewster Place | Sam Michael | Miniseries |
| Wiseguy Wiseguy Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J... |
Isaac Twine | 6 episodes | |
| 1990 | L.A. Law L.A. Law L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,... |
Derron Holloway | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Family Matters | Jimmy Baines | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production... |
Captain Dathon | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Irresistible Force | Commander Toole | Television movie |
| 1994 | Scarlett Scarlett (TV miniseries) Scarlett is a 1994 six hour miniseries loosely based on the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind, written by Alexandra Ripley... |
Big Sam | Miniseries |
| 1995 | Tyson Tyson (1995 film) Tyson is a 1995 television film based on the life of American heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. Directed by Uli Edel, it is an adaptation of the 1987 book Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson by José Torres, former boxer and former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission... |
Don King | Television movie |
| 1995 | Babylon 5 Babylon 5 Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262... |
Gen Richard Franklin | 1 episode |
| 1995 | White Dwarf | Dr. Akada | Television movie |
| 1995–2003 | Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della... |
Sam | 13 episodes |
| 1996 | Second Noah Second Noah Second Noah is a television drama that was broadcast in the United States on ABC television from February 5, 1996 to June 8, 1997-Premise:... |
Ramses | 1 episode |
| 1998–2004 | City Confidential City Confidential City Confidential is an American documentary television show, transmitted on the A&E Network, which singled out a community during each episode and investigated a crime that had occurred there. Rather than being a straighforward procedural, the installments began by focusing on the history and... |
Narrator Narrator A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... |
94 episodes |
| 1998 | Walker, Texas Ranger Walker, Texas Ranger Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full... |
Pastor Roscoe Jones | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Strange Justice Strange Justice Strange Justice is a 1999 television movie starring Delroy Lindo and Regina Taylor and directed by Ernest Dickerson. Originally aired on the Showtime network, the film is based on a book by Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson.-Synopsis:... |
Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991... |
Television movie |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office... |
Dr. Phillip Sanders | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Sounder | kindly school teacher | Television movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
Sounder Sounder (film) Sounder is a 1972 film starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews, Taj Mahal, Eric Hooks and Janet MacLachlan. It was adapted by Lonne Elder III and directed by Martin Ritt from the 1970 Newbery Medal-winning novel Sounder by William H... |
| 2004 | Black Reel Awards Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films... |
Nominated | Television: Best Supporting Actor | Sounder |
| 1997 | Daytime Emmy Award Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming... |
Nominated | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | The Legend of Gator Face |
| 1982 | NAACP Image Awards | Won | Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series or Miniseries or Television Movie NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:... |
The Sophisticated Gents The Sophisticated Gents The Sophisticated Gents is a TV miniseries that aired on three consecutive nights from September 29 to October 1, 1981 on NBC. Its ensemble cast featured a number of African American stage and film actors, many of whom were customarily seen in Blaxploitation motion pictures in the 1970s. The... |
| 1978 | Primetime Emmy Award Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming... |
Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special | King |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations Roots: The Next Generations Roots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte... (For episode V) |
|||
| 1995 | Won | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Picket Fences Picket Fences Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States... (For episode "Enemy Lines") |
|
| 1999 | St. Louis International Film Festival St. Louis International Film Festival The St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003... |
Won | Lifetime Achievement Award |