Man For All Seasons Scofield dies at 86

Paul Scofield, hailed as one of the great British actors of his generation and awarded an Oscar for his haunting performance in A Man For All Seasons, has died aged 86 of leukaemia, his agent said yesterday.

Scofield, a fiercely private actor who spurned the limelight, had the power, voice and presence to outdo any other classical actor with unforgettable performances in roles ranging from Shakespeare's King Lear to a homosexual barber in the comedy Staircase.

But the glitter of Hollywood did not appeal and he was quite happy never to match the glamour of his contemporaries Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier.