Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) 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. He portrayed Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1978 television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. Winfield was also known to science fiction fans for his roles in The Terminator, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
| # | Quote |
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| 1 | [on Sounder (1972)] The love and devotion the Lee family expresses is what it is all about. This is the real black experience. [In most back films] those cats don't show any humor or emotions. They just get in and out of bed. |
| 2 | My whole philosophy is if you're going to do something enjoy it -- even if it's a part that's serious. I guess it's the irrepressible comedian in me. Although I must say I don't enjoy watching my work. I have tapes and tapes of things I've done that I keep meaning to watch, but I never seem to get around to them. It's just not something I do, sitting around watching my old movies and saying, "Gee, look at how thin I was then.". |
| 3 | Since I am not particularly pretty and I can't sing or dance, I started off in television with a lot of bit parts either as a black activist or some type of psychopathic heavy. |
| 4 | I was given a lot of prestige as a distinguished black actor but very little power. They give prestige out by the buckets, but they give power by the teaspoon, just enough to stroke your ego. |
| # | Fact |
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| 1 | Following his death, he was interred with Charles Gillan Jr. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles, California. |
| 2 | Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 579-581. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007. |
| 3 | Bred and showed black pug dogs for several decades until his diabetes forced him to stop. |
| 4 | His Sounder (1972) on-screen leading lady, Cicely Tyson, also became his off-screen paramour. The two lived together for 18 months. |
| 5 | Gifted at playing the violin and cello, he was given a scholarship to Yale University on these merits but turned the scholarship down. |
| 6 | Was first impacted by the film Home of the Brave (1949), which starred African-American actor James Edwards in a leading role, not a typical supporting role as a servant. |
| 7 | Winfield has been honored by Cord, the Black Publishers of America, the National Association of Media Women, the California Federation of Black Leadership, and Black Child Development Institution of Washington, D.C. |
| 8 | In August 2000, Winfield appeared with John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra at Tanglewood on Parade, as narrator of "The Unfinished Journey". |
| 9 | Received the NAACP Image Award for Best Actor and inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. |
| 10 | His mother, Lois Beatrice Edwards, was a union organizer in the garment industry; his stepfather, Clarence Winfield, was a construction worker. |
| 11 | Winfield did not play an active role in the gay rights movement. His good friend actor-producer Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen in Adventures of Superman (1952)) described him as "openly gay in his life if not in the media". Like many actors of his generation he concealed his homosexuality for fear of losing employment. Larson stated that Winfield had been distraught in his final years due to his longtime partner's death in 2002. |
| 12 | While at a dog show in Denver, Colorado in the late 1990s, Winfield fell into a diabetic coma and required three weeks of hospitalization. |
| 13 | Survived by cousins Tariq Marshall, Gina Loring and Claude Marshall. |
| 14 | Cousin of actor William Marshall, also known as Blacula (1972). Marshall and Winfield have appeared on Star Trek (Marshall as Richard Daystrom in The Ultimate Computer and Winfield as Capt. Terrell in Star Trek II (also on TNG as Darmok). |
| 15 | There were originally more scenes of his character, Lt. Ted Traxler, in The Terminator (1984), that were cut to keep the film's pace moving but are now available on the special edition DVD from MGM. There were scenes that showed him and his partner-in-crime, played by Lance Henriksen, taking part in the chase sequence that ensues after the Tech Noir shoot out. The last two scenes took place in the police station that revealed that Traxler believed Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn, to be telling the truth--one taking place after the questioning of Reese and one where Reese and Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, are about to escape from the police station during the Terminator's, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, siege where Traxler gave Reese his gun and car keys. |
| 16 | Won an Emmy Award in 1995 for his portrayal of Judge Harold Nance on the drama series Picket Fences (1992). |
| 17 | Was a dog breeder in California. Bred pugs at his home. |
| 18 | (March 5, 2002) His companion of 30 years, set designer and architect Charles Gillan Jr., has died of a rare bone disease in Los Angeles, California. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Dead of Night | 1996 | Vernon |
| The Legend of Gator Face | 1996 | Bob |
| Mars Attacks! | 1996 | General Casey |
| Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles | 1996 | TV Series | Jeffrey Robbins |
| The Assassination File | 1996 | TV Movie | Senator Alan Laskey |
| Original Gangstas | 1996 | Reverend Dorsey |
| Second Noah | 1996 | TV Series | Ramses |
| Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden | 1996 | TV Movie | Horace |
| In the Flesh | 1995 | William Stone |
| Gargoyles | 1995 | TV Series | Jeffrey Robbins |
| White Dwarf | 1995 | TV Movie | Dr. Akada |
| Tyson | 1995 | TV Movie | Don King |
| In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King | 1995 | Papa Joe |
| ABC Weekend Specials | 1995 | TV Series | Old Man |
| Babylon 5 | 1995 | TV Series | Gen. Richard Franklin |
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | 1995 | TV Series | Father |
| Scarlett | 1994 | TV Mini-Series | Big Sam |
| Picket Fences | 1994 | TV Series | Judge Harold Nance |
| The Killing Jar | 1994 | Judge |
| Breathing Lessons | 1994 | TV Movie | Daniel Otis |
| Dennis the Menace | 1993 | Chief of Police |
| Cliffhanger | 1993 | Walter Wright |
| Irresistible Force | 1993 | TV Movie | Commander Toole |
| Queen | 1993 | TV Mini-Series | Cap'n Jack |
| Batman: The Animated Series | 1993 | TV Series | Earl Cooper |
| The Wish That Changed Christmas | 1991 | TV Movie | Mr. Smith (voice) |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1991 | TV Series | Captain Dathon |
| Family Matters | 1991 | TV Series | Jimmy Baines |
| L.A. Law | 1990 | TV Series | Derron Holloway |
| 83 Hours 'Til Dawn | 1990 | TV Movie | Doctor Dantley |
| Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn | 1990 | TV Movie | Jim Watson |
| Presumed Innocent | 1990 | Judge Larren Lyttle |
| It's Garry Shandling's Show. | 1990 | TV Series | Hoke |
| 227 | 1988-1990 | TV Series | Julian C. Barlow / Deacon Malcolm Fink |
| Wiseguy | 1989 | TV Series | Isaac Twine |
| The Women of Brewster Place | 1989 | TV Series | Sam Michael |
| The Charmings | 1987-1988 | TV Series | The Mirror |
| The Serpent and the Rainbow | 1988 | Lucien Celine |
| Big Shots | 1987 | Johnnie Red |
| Death Before Dishonor | 1987 | Ambassador |
| The Mighty Pawns | 1987 | TV Movie | Mr. Wright |
| Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story | 1987 | TV Movie | George Hairston |
| Blue City | 1986 | Chief Luther Reynolds |
| Under Siege | 1986 | TV Movie | Andrew Simon |
| Blacke's Magic | 1986 | TV Series | Calder |
| CBS Schoolbreak Special | 1985 | TV Series | Mr. Bateman |
| Murder, She Wrote | 1985 | TV Series | Det. Lt. Starkey |
| American Playhouse | 1983-1985 | TV Series | Gabriel |
| Hotel | 1984 | TV Series | William Griffin Sr. |
| The Terminator | 1984 | Lieutenant Ed Traxler |
| The Fall Guy | 1984 | TV Series | Bert Perkins |
| Mike's Murder | 1984 | Phillip |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain | 1984 | Gabriel Grimes |
| On the Run | 1983 | Harry |
| The Blue and the Gray | 1982 | TV Mini-Series | Jonathan Henry |
| White Dog | 1982 | Keys |
| Sister, Sister | 1982 | TV Movie | Eddie Craven |
| Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | 1982 | Terrell |
| Dreams Don't Die | 1982 | TV Movie | Charlie Banks |
| Carbon Copy | 1981 | Bob Garvey |
| The Sophisticated Gents | 1981 | TV Series | Richard 'Bubbles' Wiggins |
| Angel City | 1980 | TV Movie | Cy |
| Roots: The Next Generations | 1979 | TV Mini-Series | Dr. Horace Huguley |
| Backstairs at the White House | 1979 | TV Mini-Series | Emmett Rogers Sr |
| King | 1978 | TV Mini-Series | Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. |
| A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich | 1978 | Butler |
| Damnation Alley | 1977 | Keegan |
| The Greatest | 1977 | Draft Lawyer |
| Twilight's Last Gleaming | 1977 | Willis Powell |
| Green Eyes | 1977 | TV Movie | Lloyd Dubeck |
| High Velocity | 1976 | Watson |
| The American Parade | 1976 | TV Mini-Series | Rev. J.A. Delaine |
| Livin' | 1975 | TV Series | Host |
| Hustle | 1975 | Sgt. Louis Belgrave |
| Huckleberry Finn | 1974 | Jim |
| Conrack | 1974 | Mad Billy |
| It's Good to Be Alive | 1974 | TV Movie | Roy Campanella |
| Gordon's War | 1973 | Gordon Hudson |
| The Horror at 37,000 Feet | 1973 | TV Movie | Dr. Enkalla |
| Trouble Man | 1972 | Chalky Price |
| Sounder | 1972 | Nathan Lee Morgan |
| Ironside | 1968-1972 | TV Series | Luther Benson / Robert Phillips |
| Nichols | 1972 | TV Series | Eddie Joe |
| Brother John | 1971 | Henry Birkardt |
| The Young Rebels | 1970 | TV Series | Pompey |
| The Young Lawyers | 1970 | TV Series | Willis Crawford |
| R.P.M. | 1970 | Steve Dempsey |
| Julia | 1969-1970 | TV Series | Paul Cameron |
| Room 222 | 1969 | TV Series | Jim Williams |
| The Lost Man | 1969 | Orville Turner |
| Mannix | 1969 | TV Series | Walter Lucas |
| The Name of the Game | 1969 | TV Series | Barada |
| The High Chaparral | 1969 | TV Series | Graham Jessup |
| Mission: Impossible | 1968 | TV Series | Klaus |
| Death Valley Days | 1968 | TV Series | Bart |
| Who's Minding the Mint? | 1967 | Garbage Man (uncredited) |
| The Perils of Pauline | 1967 | African Servant (uncredited) |
| The F.B.I. | 1966 | TV Series | Prison Guard Lincoln |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | 1966 | TV Series | 1st M.P. |
| Daktari | 1966 | TV Series | Roy Kimba |
| Perry Mason | 1965 | TV Series | Mitch |
| Touched by an Angel | 1995-2003 | TV Series | Sam |
| Sounder | 2003 | TV Movie | The Teacher |
| Kids' Ten Commandments: A Life and Seth Situation | 2003 | Video short | Shadi (voice) |
| Kids' Ten Commandments: Stolen Jewels, Stolen Hearts | 2003 | Video short | Shadi (voice) |
| Kids' Ten Commandments: The Not So Golden Calf | 2003 | Video short | Shadi (voice) |
| Kids' Ten Commandments: The Rest Is Yet to Come | 2003 | Video short | Shadi (voice) |
| Kids' Ten Commandments: Toying with the Truth | 2003 | Video short | Shadi (voice) |
| Second to Die | 2002 | Detective Grady |
| Crossing Jordan | 2002 | TV Series | Dr. Phillip Sanders |
| Vegas, City of Dreams | 2001 | Edgar Jones |
| Batman Beyond | 1999-2000 | TV Series | Sam Young |
| Knockout | 2000/I | Ron Regent |
| Strange Justice | 1999 | TV Movie | Thurgood Marshall |
| Catfish in Black Bean Sauce | 1999 | Harold Williams |
| Frank in Five | 1999 | Short | Waiter |
| Assignment Berlin | 1998 | Al Spector |
| Relax... It's Just Sex | 1998 | Auntie Mahalia |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | 1998 | TV Series | Pastor Roscoe Jones |
| The Simpsons | 1996-1998 | TV Series | Lucious Sweet |
| The Magic School Bus | 1996-1997 | TV Series | Mr. Ruhle |
| Spider-Man | 1997 | TV Series | Omar Mosley
Black Marvel
Young Black Marvel |
| Built to Last | 1997 | TV Series | Russell Watkins |
| Teen Angel | 1997 | TV Series |
| Strategic Command | 1997 | Rowan |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| City Confidential | 1998-2004 | TV Series documentary | Narrator / Himself |
| ESPN SportsCentury | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Access Hollywood | 2000 | TV Series | Himself |
| Entertainment Tonight | 2000 | TV Series | Himself |
| HBO First Look | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| March to Freedom | 1999 | Video documentary short | Narrator (voice) |
| Celebrity Profile | 1998 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Walt Disney Company and McDonald's Present the American Teacher Awards | 1995 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1995 | TV Special | Himself - Winner: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series & Presenter: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series |
| Baseball | 1994 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Satchel Paige / W.E.B. DuBois |
| At the River I Stand | 1993 | Documentary | Narrarator |
| The Streets | 1991 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Host |
| The Movie Awards | 1991 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Presenter |
| Ebony/Jet Showcase | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| Working in the Theatre | 1988 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Hour Magazine | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| The New Hollywood Squares | 1987 | TV Series | Guest Appearance |
| American Masters | 1986 | TV Series documentary |
| The Making of 'Terminator' | 1984 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
| The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards | 1980 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 31st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1979 | TV Special | Himself - Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special |
| The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1978 | TV Special | Himself - Nominated: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series |
| Twilight's Last Gleaming: The Dynamics of Controversy | 1977 | Documentary short | Himself |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1974 | TV Series | Himself - Actor |
| The 46th Annual Academy Awards | 1974 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Best Art Direction |
| King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis | 1970 | Documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| The New Cinema | 1968 | TV Movie documentary | Himself / Narrator |
