A Man for All Seasons

I was saddened to learn of the death of Paul Scofield earlier today at the age of 86. He was one of the UK's great male actors on par with Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielguld and Sir Alec Guiness (Scofield apparently turned down the offer of a Knighthood on several occaisons)and his passing will leave a substantial void. I first became aware of him more than 40 years ago in the superb and needless to say Oscar-winning film Man for All Seasons and later in Hamlet and Henry V. I also saw him on stage although my aging grey matter cannot recall which play. It was definitely Shakesperian: Richard III perhaps? Or Macbeth, or even in Amadeus (although I think somebody else was playing the part of Salieri by the time I got to see it in London's Haymarket Theatre in 1981). It makes no difference. A true giant of the stage and screen has gone and will be sorely missed.

R.I.P.