It might be time to change the name of this thing to ObituaryWire, given the way this week has been shaking out. Unfortunately, today brings news of another notable passing: Paul Scofield, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Sir Thomas More in 1966's A Man For All Seasons. A gifted stage actor with—as the AP notes—"a dramatic, craggy face and an unforgettable voice likened to a Rolls-Royce starting up or the sound rumbling out of low organ pipes in an ancient crypt," Scofield had few film roles following his breakout performance in Seasons, preferring to stick to the theater that he loved so much. Nevertheless, he scored a second Oscar nomination for playing the famed poet patriarch to Ralph Fiennes' troubled Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show, and had memorable turns in The Train, A Delicate Balance, Henry V, Hamlet, and the 1996 version of The Crucible. Scofield was an unusually humble man, turning down parts frequently and thrice refusing the knighthood, but among other actors he was already a legend: When hailed as the heir to Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, Richard Burton demurred that it was Scofield who deserved that rank; a 2004 poll of the Royal Shakespeare Company proclaimed Scofield's turn as King Lear "the greatest Shakespearean performance ever." Good night, sweet prince, and may your passing be the last we have to endure for a little while.
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