Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisianasharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film Sounder (1972), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Winfield portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. Winfield was also known for his roles in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, L.A. Law, and 24 episodes of the sitcom 227. Winfield received four Emmy nominations overall, winning in 1995 for his 1994 guest role in Picket Fences.
Early years
Winfield was the son of Lois Beatrice Edwards, a single mother who was a union organizer in the garment industry. Although published obituaries stated he was born on May 22, 1941 in Los Angeles,[1][2] some sources indicate that Winfield was born on May 22, 1939 in Dallas, Texas.[a] His stepfather from the age of eight was Clarence Winfield, a city trash collector and construction worker.[4][5] Winfield graduated from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. From there, he attended the University of Portland, 1957–59; Stanford University, 1959; Los Angeles City College, 1959–63; University of California, Los Angeles, 1962–64; University of Hawaii, 1965 and the University of California, Santa Barbara, 1970–71, but did not earn a degree from any of them.[6]
Career
A lifetime member of The Actors Studio,[7] Winfield carved out a diverse career in film, television, theater, and voiceovers by taking groundbreaking roles at a time when black actors were rarely even cast. He first appeared in the 1965 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Runaway Racer" as Mitch, a race car mechanic. Winfield's first major feature film role was in the 1969 film The Lost Man starring Sidney Poitier. He became well known to TV audiences after appearing in several seasons of the groundbreaking television series Julia opposite Diahann Carroll. The show, filmed during a high point of racial tension in the U.S., was unique in featuring a black female as the central character. Winfield also starred as Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 miniseries King.
Winfield gained a new segment of fans for his brief but memorable roles in several science fiction television series and films. Winfield portrayed Starfleet starship Captain Terrell, an unwilling minion of the villain Khan, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Lieutenant Ed Traxler, a friendly but crusty cop partnered with Lance Henriksen in The Terminator. In 1996, he was in the 'name' ensemble cast in Tim Burton's comic homage to 1950s science fiction Mars Attacks!, playing the complacently self-satisfied Lt. General Casey. On the small screen, Winfield appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Darmok"[9] as Dathon, an alien captain who communicates in allegories. He 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 wisecracking Magic Mirror. Winfield also portrayed Julian Barlow in the last two seasons of the TV series 227.
Winfield was gay, but remained discreet about it in the public eye. Prior to coming out with his sexuality, Winfield lived with his Sounder co-star Cicely Tyson, for about 18 months in the early 1970s. She offered him a place to stay after he revealed that he was gay on set. Due to them living together, it was speculated that they were in a relationship. They never corrected the misconception.[10] His partner of 30 years, architect Charles Gillan Jr., died of bone cancer on March 5, 2002.[11]
^His grave marker at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) gives his birth year as 1939, and the Social Security Index gives his place and date of birth as Dallas, Texas, on May 22, 1939.[3]
^ abcde"Paul Winfield (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 23, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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