--- name: "George C. Scott" canonical: "https://film.one/person/george-c-scott" fi1m_id: "george-c-scott" imdb_id: "nm0001715" tmdb_id: 862 wikidata_id: "Q182450" roles: ["Actor"] born: "18 October 1927" died: "22 September 1999" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 83 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-04T17:33:16.444128+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # George C. Scott ## Identity George C. Scott - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/george-c-scott - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** george-c-scott - **IMDb ID:** nm0001715 - **TMDB ID:** 862 - **Wikidata ID:** Q182450 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Scott, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182450, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001715/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/862 Actor. Born 18 October 1927 in Wise, Virginia, USA. Died 22 September 1999. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 18 October 1927, Wise, Virginia, USA - **Died:** 22 September 1999 - **Active:** 1959–1981 - **Also known as:** George Campbell Scott, جرج سی. اسکات - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 87 (1), 1960s 90 (2), 1970s 82 (1), 1980s 63 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 88 to 82 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 3 of 5 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 4, War 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1, History 1, Mystery 1 - **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $151m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Scott, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182450, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001715/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/862 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Anatomy of a Murder*](https://film.one/film/anatomy-of-a-murder.md) (87), [*Patton*](https://film.one/film/patton.md) (82) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on George C. Scott > George C. Scott made authority sound persuasive even when the man exercising it was alarming. We value the force and the humour, though his broadest reactions can make dangerous men too easy to dismiss. In *Dr. Strangelove* (1964), George C. Scott makes General ‘Buck’ Turgidson look delighted to be at work. His relish for military business is alarming because there is so little doubt in it. We laughed at that enthusiasm, then felt uneasy because Scott made it seem quite natural to the man. Stanley Kubrick gets comedy from an actor whose force might seem better suited to keeping everyone quiet. Scott is persuasive enough for the joke to remain uncomfortable, provided he does not push it too hard. That force was established early in *Anatomy of a Murder* (1959), where Scott plays Claude Dancer and needs little movement or dialogue to hold attention. As the ruthless gambler Bert Gordon in *The Hustler* (1961), he gives a less official sort of authority the same threat. *Patton* (1970), with Scott as General George S. Patton Jr., became his defining screen role. The recurring attraction is a man accustomed to being taken seriously, played with enough conviction that we understand why others might oblige. In *Dr. Strangelove*, the raspy voice is only part of what makes this work. Scott’s mobile face and physical tics give Kubrick plenty to use, while his conviction keeps Turgidson from becoming merely a collection of funny reactions. Occasionally, though, a reaction goes beyond what the joke needs, and the general becomes too easy to dismiss. Those are the moments when the performance starts to cost the film something. We need to recognise a man who might be given responsibility, and the broader clowning lets us stop doing that. The later career included Paul Schrader’s *Hardcore* (1979), with Scott as Jake VanDorn, and continued across features and television through the 1980s and 1990s. Some of those parts relied too heavily on his presence, a poor substitute for giving an actor something to do. There is more to Scott than the ability to sound formidable. Start with *Dr. Strangelove*, and watch how much trouble he can suggest simply by looking pleased with himself. ## Biography George C. Scott was an American actor known for his work in film, television and on stage. Born George Campbell Scott on 18 October 1927 in Wise, Virginia, he died on 22 September 1999 in Westlake Village, California. After serving in the United States Marine Corps and studying at the University of Missouri, Scott began his career in repertory theatre and gained attention for his performance as Richard III in a 1957 New York Shakespeare Festival production. He made his film debut in the late 1950s. Scott is noted for his roles as the prosecutor Claude Dancer in *Anatomy of a Murder* (1959), Bert Gordon in *The Hustler* (1961), General 'Buck' Turgidson in *Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb* (1964), and General George S. Patton Jr. in *Patton* (1970). He refused the Academy Award for Best Actor for the latter film. *Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *Taps* (1981), Fi1m 63, as General Harlan Bache — [page](https://film.one/film/taps.md) - *Patton* (1970), Fi1m 82, as General George S. Patton Jr. — [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md) - *Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb* (1964), Fi1m 93, as General 'Buck' Turgidson — [page](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb.md) - *The Hustler* (1961), Fi1m 88, as Bert Gordon — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hustler.md) - *Anatomy of a Murder* (1959), Fi1m 87, as Claude Dancer — [page](https://film.one/film/anatomy-of-a-murder.md) ## Complete filmography (86) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Inherit the Wind* (1999), as Matthew Harrison Brady - *Rocky Marciano* (1999), as Pierino Marchegiano - *Gloria* (1999), as Ruby - *12 Angry Men* (1997), as Juror 3 - *Family Rescue* (1997), as Clayton Hayes - *Titanic* (1996), series, as Captain Edward J. Smith - *New York News* (1995), series, as Ollie Herman - *Angus* (1995), as Grandpa Ivan - *Tyson* (1995), as Cus D'Amato - *In the Heat of the Night: A Matter of Justice* (1994), as Judge Walker - *The Whipping Boy* (1994), as Blind George - *Traps* (1994), series, as Joe Trapchek - *Malice* (1993), as Dr. Martin Kessler - *Curaçao* (1993), as Cornelius Wettering - *Finding the Way Home* (1991), as Max Mittelman - *Weapons at War* (1991), series, as Host - *Descending Angel* (1990), as Florian Stroia - *The Rescuers Down Under* (1990), as McLeach (voice) - *The Exorcist III* (1990), as Lt. William 'Bill' Kinderman - *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue* (1990), as Smoke (voice) - *The Ryan White Story* (1989), as Charles Vaughan Sr. - *Mr. President* (1987), series, as President Samuel A. Tresch - *Pals* (1987), as Jack Stobbs - *The Last Days of Patton* (1986), as Gen. George S. Patton Jr. - *The Murders in the Rue Morgue* (1986), as Auguste Dupin - *Choices* (1986), as Evan Granger - *Mussolini: The Untold Story* (1985), series, as Benito Mussolini - *A Christmas Carol* (1984), as Ebenezer Scrooge - *Firestarter* (1984), as John Rainbird - *China Rose* (1983), as Burton Allen - *The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt* (1983), as Narrator - *Oliver Twist* (1982), as Fagin - *Taps* (1981), as General Harlan Bache — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/taps.md) - *The Formula* (1980), as Barney Caine - *The Changeling* (1980), as John Russell - *Arthur Miller on Home Ground* (1979), Actor - *Hardcore* (1979), as Jake VanDorn - *Movie Movie* (1978), as Gloves Malloy / Spats Baxter - *The Prince and the Pauper* (1977), as The Ruffler - *Islands in the Stream* (1977), as Thomas Hudson - *Beauty and the Beast* (1976), as The Beast - *The Hindenburg* (1975), as Col. Franz Ritter - *Fear on Trial* (1975), as Louis Nizer - *The Savage Is Loose* (1974), as John · Director, Producer - *The Bank Shot* (1974), as Walter Upjohn Ballentine - *The Day of the Dolphin* (1973), as Jake Terrell - *Oklahoma Crude* (1973), as Noble 'Mase' Mason - *Rage* (1972), as Dan Charles Logan · Director - *The Trouble With People* (1972), as Driver (Story 2) - *The New Centurions* (1972), as Kilvinski - *The Flim Flam Man* (1972), as Mordecai - *The Hospital* (1971), as Dr. Herbert Bock - *The Last Run* (1971), as Harry Garmes - *They Might Be Giants* (1971), as Justin Playfair - *The Price* (1971), as Victor Franz - *A Man Named Lombardi* (1971), Actor - *Jane Eyre* (1970), as Edward Rochester - *The Andersonville Trial* (1970), Director - *Patton* (1970), as General George S. Patton Jr. — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md) - *Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall* (1969), as Max Maxwell / N.Y. Rome - *This Savage Land* (1969), as Jud Barker - *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Victor Franz - *Petulia* (1968), as Dr. Archie Bollen - *The Flim-Flam Man* (1967), as Mordecai Jones - *The Crucible* (1967), as John Proctor - *Not With My Wife, You Don't!* (1966), as 'Tank' Martin - *The Bible: In the Beginning...* (1966), as Abraham - *The Road West* (1966), series, Actor - *The Yellow Rolls-Royce* (1964), as Paolo Maltese - *The Brazen Bell* (1964), as Arthur Lilly - *Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb* (1964), as General 'Buck' Turgidson — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb.md) - *East Side/West Side* (1963), series, as Neil Brock - *The Power and the Glory* (1963), as Police Lieutenant - *The List of Adrian Messenger* (1963), as Anthony Gethryn - *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Arthur Lilly - *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1961), as Lord Henry Wotton - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor - *The Hustler* (1961), as Bert Gordon — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hustler.md) - *The Dow Hour of Great Mysteries* (1960), series, as Edward Stevens - *Winterset* (1959), as Trock Estrella - *Anatomy of a Murder* (1959), as Claude Dancer — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/anatomy-of-a-murder.md) - *The Hanging Tree* (1959), as George Grubb - *Naked City* (1958), series, as Kermit Garrison - *DuPont Show of the Month* (1957), series, as Jacques - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Trock, The Beast, Victor Franz · Producer - *Kraft Television Theatre* (1947), series, as Mr. Oakhurst, Nicholas Dreydel ## Gallery - ![George C. Scott](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-3f77a70d4cbd.jpg) George C. Scott — unknown photographer -, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/George_C._Scott_-_publicity.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) demonstrating a B-52 flying low enough to fry chickens in a barnyard. (1964)](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-7935272b71c8.png) General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) demonstrating a B-52 flying low enough to fry chickens in a barnyard. (1964) — Directed by Stanley Kubrick, distributed by Columbia Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Dr._Strangelove_-_General_Buck_Turgidson.png/1280px-Dr._Strangelove_-_General_Buck_Turgidson.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Publicity photo of Geraldine Page and George C. Scott. The caption on the back reads: "Geraldine Page plays a tormented woman and George C. Scott is her doctor (1959)](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-6b8c5a76b4a9.jpg) Publicity photo of Geraldine Page and George C. Scott. The caption on the back reads: "Geraldine Page plays a tormented woman and George C. Scott is her doctor (1959) — NBC TV, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/George_C._Scott_-_Geraldine_Page_-_1959.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Opening night cast party for "Design for Living" in 1984](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-546d30e550f7.jpg) Opening night cast party for "Design for Living" in 1984 — Jbfrankel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/George_C._Scott_1984.jpg/1280px-George_C._Scott_1984.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![George C. Scott](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-a8934171f39c.jpg) George C. Scott — Image via TMDB - ![George C. Scott](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-af511013c318.jpg) George C. Scott — Image via TMDB - ![George C. Scott](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-566616eb2801.jpg) George C. Scott — Image via TMDB - ![Opening night cast party for "Design for Living" in 1984](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-036543593247.jpg) Opening night cast party for "Design for Living" in 1984 — George_C._Scott_1984.jpg: Jbfrankel derivative work: Entheta (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/George_C._Scott_1984_cropped.jpg/1280px-George_C._Scott_1984_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Trish Van Devere and husband George C. Scott, 1972.](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-e672aa0f103a.jpg) Trish Van Devere and husband George C. Scott, 1972. — UPI Wirephoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/George_C._Scott_and_Trish_Van_Devere%2C_1972.jpg/1280px-George_C._Scott_and_Trish_Van_Devere%2C_1972.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![George C. Scott](https://film.one/media/person/59358/gallery-3bfcbbf24eef.jpg) George C. Scott — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated - 1972: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Hospital* - 1971: Best Actor (won), for *Patton* - 1962: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *The Hustler* - 1960: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Anatomy of a Murder* ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won - 1998: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *12 Angry Men* - 1971: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *The Price* ### Other awards — 1 won, 6 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1996: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor 1991: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (nominated), for *The Exorcist III* - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1976: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1974: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1960: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1959: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (nominated) - Theatre World Award 1958: Theatre World Award (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/george-c-scott