Paul Scofield: An Actor for All Seasons

by Garry O'Connor

Book Overview

Garry O'Connor, highly respected for his theatrical biographies, presents a richly drawn, fully dimensional portrait of the great actor Paul Scofield. He interviewed the intensely private Scofield himself, as well as many of the actors and directors he has worked with, including Simon Callow, Trevor Nunn, Richard Eyre and Peter Hall. The result is a masterly biography that paints a revealing portrait of a man who, for the serious film and theatre-goer,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1557834997
• ISBN13: 9781557834997
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Applause Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A excellent "Workgraphy"

As someone who much admires Paul Scofield, but only had access to his movies, I liked to know more about his work (until 2000), principally in theater, and this book supplied me with some photos, reviews, some interviews, and descriptions about Paul Scofield and his wonderful life as the best actor I have seen. That is an opinion shared by many others, indeed his "King Lear" was chosen as the best ever Shakespeare performance in a unique poll (2004)of members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Besides his work as an actor, I came to admire more the man for his self-assurance and adult balance. As Felice Kendall said to the author: "He's like an adult. Most actors are like children". Sure, I'd like that he had made more films, but as he said: "A long time ago, I realised I should have to choose between films and theatre--and the theatre has always come first. I'm not an actor because I feel the need to say `Look at me, aren't I clever?' I don't have an inferiority complex I must disguise. I'm an actor because...oh, because I'm good at it. I can say honestly and, I hope, without self-satisfaction, that I'm happy with my lot." I recommend this book and I hope that all his films (includind TV) be released in DVD.