Paul Winfield Biography

Fast Facts

• Spent much time as a child in segregated movie theaters, and when he saw the movie Home of the Brave (1949), which featured an African American in a lead role, he knew that he wanted to become a performer
• Was recognized as Best Actor for three years in high school against several other Southern California drama students; he was offered a scholarship to Yale, but turned it down
• Was the third African-American actor, behind Sidney Poitier and James Earl Jones, to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, for his role in Sounder in 1972
• Known for his distinctive voice, he lent it to various animated series, such as The Magic School Bus and The Simpsons, and he was the narrator for A&E's series City Confidential until his death in 2004
• Spoke out strongly for civil rights through his lifetime and was recognized for this; he won an NAACP Image Award and was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame