Paul Winfield

Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) was an American 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 for Best Actor nomination, making him the first openly gay nominee. 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: The Next Generation, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, L.A. Law,, the Magic Mirror in The Charmings, and Julian c. Barlow in the final season of 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, some sources indicate that Winfield was born on May 22, 1939 in Dallas, Texas. His stepfather from the age of eight was Clarence Winfield, a city trash collector and construction worker. 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 Hawaiʻi, 1965 and the University of California, Santa Barbara, 1970–71, but did not earn a degree from any of them.

Career A lifetime member of The Actors Studio, 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.

In 1973, Winfield was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1972 film Sounder; his co-star, Cicely Tyson, was nominated for Best Actress. Prior to their nominations and Diana Ross's for Lady Sings the Blues the same year, only three other black Americans – Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier and James Earl Jones – had ever been nominated for a leading role. Winfield also appeared in a different role in the 2003 Disney-produced TV remake of Sounder directed by Kevin Hooks, his co-star from the original. Winfield played "Jim the Slave" in Huckleberry Finn (1974), a musical based on the Mark Twain novel. He would recall later in his career, that as a young actor, he had played one of the leads in a local repertory production of Of Mice and Men in whiteface. At the time, a black actor playing the role would have been unthinkable. Winfield also starred in several 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 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" 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 guest-starred as Deacon Malcolm Fisk in "The Sing-Off" episode of 227 and later joined the main cast in the final season as the snide and wealthy landlord Julian c. Barlow who stated that the "c" in his middle name was lower-cased by his mother who wanted to make it sound humble.

Winfield also took on roles as homosexual characters in the films Mike's Murder in 1984, and the 1998 film Relax...It's Just Sex. He found success off-camera due to his unique voice. Winfield provided voices for Spider-Man as Black Marvel, The Magic School Bus, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Gargoyles, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, K10C, and The Simpsons as the Don King parody Lucius Sweet. In his voiceover career, Winfield is perhaps best known as narrator of the A&E true crime series City Confidential from 1998 until his death in 2004.

Throughout his career, Winfield frequently managed to perform in the theater. Checkmates (1988), his only Broadway production, co-starred Ruby Dee and was also the Broadway debut of Denzel Washington. Winfield appeared in productions at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for King and Roots: The Next Generations. In 1995, Winfield won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance as Judge Harold Nance in the CBS drama Picket Fences.

Personal life and death 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 their living together, it was speculated that they were in a relationship. They never corrected the misconception. His partner of 30 years, architect Charles Gillan Jr., died of bone cancer on March 5, 2002.

Winfield long battled obesity and diabetes. On March 7, 2004, he died of a heart attack at Queen of Angels – Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. Winfield and Gillan are interred together at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 The Perils of Pauline African Servant Uncredited 1967 Who's Minding the Mint? Garbage man Uncredited 1969 The Lost Man Orville Turner 1970 R. P. M. Steve Dempsey 1971 Brother John Henry Birkart 1972 Sounder Nathan Lee Morgan 1972 Trouble Man Chalky Price 1973 Gordon's War Gordon Hudson 1974 Conrack Mad Billy 1974 Huckleberry Finn Jim 1975 Hustle Sergeant Louis Belgrave 1976 High Velocity Watson 1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming Willis Powell 1977 The Greatest Lawyer 1977 Damnation Alley Keegan 1978 A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich Butler 1981 Carbon Copy Bob Garvey 1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Captain Clark Terrell 1982 White Dog Keys 1983 On the Run Harry 1984 Mike's Murder Philip Green 1984 The Terminator Lt. Ed Traxler 1986 Blue City Luther Reynolds 1987 Death Before Dishonor Ambassador 1987 Big Shots Johnnie Red 1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Lucien Celine 1990 Presumed Innocent Judge Larren Lyttle 1993 Cliffhanger Walter Wright 1993 Dennis the Menace Chief of Police 1994 The Killing Jar Judge Alternative title: Trapped 1995 In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King Papa Joe 1995 William Stone 1996 Original Gangstas Reverend Dorsey Alternative title: Hot City 1996 Mars Attacks! Lt. General Casey 1996 Dead of Night Vernon 1996 The Legend of Gator Face Bob 1997 Strategic Command Rowan 1998 Relax...It's Just Sex Auntie Mahalia 1998 Al Spector 1999 Catfish in Black Bean Sauce Harold Williams 2000 Knockout Ron Regent 2001 Vegas, City of Dreams Edgar Jones 2002 Second to Die Detective Grady Television Year Title Role Notes 1965 Perry Mason Mitch Episode: "The Case of the Runaway Racer" 1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Military M.P. Episode: "The Minus x Affair" 1966 Daktari Roy Kimba 2 episodes 1967 Cowboy in Africa Kabutu 1 episode 1968 Death Valley Days Bart Episode: Bbread on the Desert" 1968 Mission: Impossible Klaus Episode: "Trial by Fury" 1968–1972 Ironside Robert Phillips / Luther Benson 2 episodes 1969 Mannix Walter Lucas Episode: "Odds Against Donald Jordan" 1969 The High Chaparral Graham Jessup Episode: "Sea of Enemies" 1969 Room 222 Jim Williams Episode: "Arizona State Loves You" 1969–1970 Julia Paul Cameron 4 episodes 1970 The Young Rebels Pompey Episode: "Unbroken Chains" 1973 The Horror at 37,000 Feet Dr. Enkalla Television film 1974 It's Good to Be Alive Roy Campanella Television film 1977 Green Eyes Lloyd Dubeck Television film 1978 King Martin Luther King Jr. Miniseries 1979 Backstairs at the White House Emmett Rogers Sr. Miniseries 1979 Roots: The Next Generations Dr. Horace Huguley Episode #1.5 1980 Angel City Cy Television film 1981 The Sophisticated Gents Richard "Bubbles" Wiggins Television film 1982 Dreams Don't Die Officer Charles "Charlie" Banks Television film 1982 The Blue and the Gray Jonathan Henry Miniseries 1983 For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story Sampson Television film 1984 The Fall Guy Bert Perkins Episode: "Old Heroes Never Die" 1985 Go Tell It on the Mountain Gabriel Grimes Television film 1985 Murder, She Wrote Det. Lieutenant Starkey Episode: "Tough Guys Don't Die" 1986 Under Siege Andrew Simon Television film 1987 Mighty Pawns Mr. Wright Television film 1987–1988 The Charmings The Magic Mirror Main role 1988 227 Deacon Malcolm Fisk Episode: "The Sing-Off" 1989–1990 227 Julian c. Barlow Main role (season 5) 1989 The Women of Brewster Place Sam Michael Miniseries 1989 Wiseguy Isaac Twine 6 episodes 1990 L.A. Law Derron Holloway 4 episodes 1991 Family Matters Jimmy Baines Episode: "Finding the Words" 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Captain Dathon Episode: "Darmok" 1991 The Wish That Changed Christmas Mr. Smith Voice, Television film 1993 Batman: The Animated Series Earl Cooper Voice, episode: "The Mechanic" 1993 Irresistible Force Commander Toole Television film 1994 Scarlett Big Sam Miniseries 1994 Picket Fences Judge Harold Nance 2 episodes 1994 Baseball W. E. B. Du Bois / Satchel Paige Voice, 2 episodes 1995 Babylon 5 General Richard Franklin Episode: "GROPOS" 1995 Tyson Don King Television film 1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Father Voice, episode: "Beauty and the Beast" 1995 White Dwarf Dr. Akada Television film 1995–1996 Gargoyles Jeffrey Robbins Voice, 3 episodes 1995–2003 Touched by an Angel Sam 12 episodes 1996 Second Noah Ramses Episode: "Ghost Story" 1996–1997 The Magic School Bus Mr. Ruhle Voice, 4 episodes 1996–1998 The Simpsons Lucius Sweet Voice, 2 episodes 1997 Spider-Man: The Animated Series Omar Mosely / Black Marvel Voice, 3 episodes 1998 Walker, Texas Ranger Pastor Roscoe Jones Episode: "The Soul of Winter" 1999–2000 Batman Beyond Sam Young Voice, 3 episodes 1999–2004 City Confidential Narrator 94 episodes 1999 Strange Justice Thurgood Marshall Television film 2002 Crossing Jordan Dr. Phillip Sanders Episode: "Four Fathers" 2003 Sounder The Teacher Television film

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1973 Academy Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Sounder 1978 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special King 1979 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Special Roots: The Next Generations(For "Episode V") 1982 NAACP Image Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series or Miniseries or Television Movie The Sophisticated Gents 1995 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Picket Fences: Season 3 1997 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special The Legend of Gator Face 1999 St. Louis International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award 2004 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series Sounder