---
name: "Paul Winfield"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/paul-winfield"
fi1m_id: "paul-winfield"
imdb_id: "nm0934902"
tmdb_id: 1818
wikidata_id: "Q344576"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "22 May 1939"
died: "7 March 2004"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-04T23:23:29.689707+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."
---

# Paul Winfield

## Identity

Paul Winfield

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/paul-winfield
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** paul-winfield
- **IMDb ID:** nm0934902
- **TMDB ID:** 1818
- **Wikidata ID:** Q344576
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Winfield, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q344576, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934902/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1818

Actor. Born 22 May 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 7 March 2004.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 22 May 1939, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 7 March 2004
- **Active:** 1972–1999
- **Also known as:** Paul Edward Winfield, Paul E. Winfield, Пол Уинфилд
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 83 (1), 1980s 86 (4), 1990s 70 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 73 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Thriller 4, Action 3, Comedy 3, Drama 3, Science Fiction 3, Action & Adventure 2
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $870m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Winfield, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q344576, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934902/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1818

## Streaming the US now

- **AMC+:** [*The Terminator*](https://film.one/film/the-terminator.md) (88)
- **Apple TV:** [*Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan*](https://film.one/film/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan.md) (85)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Sounder*](https://film.one/film/sounder.md) (83)
- **Tubi:** [*Presumed Innocent*](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Paul Winfield

> Paul Winfield makes judges and officers seem human without diminishing their authority. We value his resonant voice and his humour, though these dependable supporting parts can leave us wishing he had more to do.

In *Presumed Innocent* (1990), Paul Winfield plays Judge Larren Lyttle. His wit is particularly welcome in Alan J. Pakula's patient courtroom mystery, whose solemnity occasionally slows it down. We laughed, and felt some relief: Lyttle's humour gives us a break from that heavy atmosphere without making the judge seem any less capable. It is a supporting performance worth seeking out in a film we warmly recommend.

The lead in *Sounder* (1972), as sharecropper Nathan Lee Morgan, had already shown how much he could bring to a family drama. There is warmth and intimacy in that work, and it matters when looking at the succession of uniforms and professional titles that followed. In *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), he was Captain Clark Terrell; *The Terminator* (1984) cast him as police lieutenant Ed Traxler. The jobs became a recognisable habit of casting, but they were a narrow use of an actor who could carry a film.

James Cameron's *The Terminator* is a pursuit thriller. We rate the film highly for the force of its pursuit and Linda Hamilton's performance, even when the violence becomes numbing. Winfield's crusty Traxler belongs to the recognisable human world against which Arnold Schwarzenegger's menace makes sense. The resonant voice helps: it lends weight to the officer without requiring the film to stop and announce his importance. Cameron has a chase to keep moving, and Winfield can establish a figure of authority within those limits.

His voice also found work in narration and animation, while film and television kept using him chiefly in character parts. The frustration is how often the task comes down to supplying authority, however well he does it. We should be wary of praising his dependability so much that we stop asking what else a film might let him do. Start with Lyttle for the wit, then give *Sounder* an evening of its own.

## Biography

Paul Edward Winfield (22 May 1939 – 7 March 2004) was an American actor. He appeared in film, television and on stage from the mid-1960s until his death.

Winfield received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his leading role in *Sounder* (1972). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 miniseries *King*. Other notable film roles include Captain Clark Terrell in *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), Lieutenant Ed Traxler in *The Terminator* (1984), Walter Wright in *Cliffhanger* (1993) and General Casey in *Mars Attacks!* (1996). He played Judge Larren Lyttle in *Presumed Innocent* (1990).

Winfield also voiced characters in animated series including *Batman: The Animated Series* and *Spider-Man*, and appeared in *Star Trek: The Next Generation*. He won an Emmy Award for a guest role in *Picket Fences*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, encyclopedia.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (10)

- *Mars Attacks!* (1996), Fi1m 66, as General Casey — [page](https://film.one/film/mars-attacks.md)
- *Babylon 5* (1994), Fi1m 74, as Gen. Richard Franklin — [page](https://film.one/tv/babylon-5.md)
- *Cliffhanger* (1993), Fi1m 74, as Walter Wright — [page](https://film.one/film/cliffhanger.md)
- *Dennis the Menace* (1993), Fi1m 56, as Chief of Police — [page](https://film.one/film/dennis-the-menace.md)
- *Presumed Innocent* (1990), Fi1m 82, as Judge Larren Lyttle — [page](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md)
- *The Simpsons* (1989), Fi1m 88, as Lucius Sweet (voice) — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987), Fi1m 84, as Captain Dathon — [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-the-next-generation.md)
- *The Terminator* (1984), Fi1m 88, as Traxler — [page](https://film.one/film/the-terminator.md)
- *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), Fi1m 85, as Captain Clark Terrell — [page](https://film.one/film/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan.md)
- *Sounder* (1972), Fi1m 83, as Nathan Lee Morgan — [page](https://film.one/film/sounder.md)

## Complete filmography (110)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Toying with the Truth: Commandments 9-10* (2003), as Shadi(voice)
- *Stolen Jewels, Stolen Hearts: Commandments 7-8* (2003), as Shadi(voice)
- *A Life and Seth Situation: Commandments 5-6* (2003), as Shadi(voice)
- *The Rest is Yet to Come: Commandments 3-4* (2003), as Shadi(voice)
- *The Not So Golden Calf: Commandments 1-2* (2003), as Shadi(voice)
- *Sounder* (2003), as The Teacher
- *Second to Die* (2002), as Detective Grady
- *Crossing Jordan* (2001), series, as Phillip Sanders
- *Vegas, City of Dreams* (2001), as Edgar Jones
- *Knockout* (2000), as Ron Regent
- *The Unfinished Journey* (1999), as Narrator (voice)
- *March to Freedom* (1999), as Narrator
- *Strange Justice* (1999), as Thurgood Marshall
- *Catfish in Black Bean Sauce* (1999), as Harold Williams
- *Batman Beyond* (1999), series, as Sam Young (voice)
- *Assignment Berlin* (1998), as Al Spector
- *Relax... It's Just Sex* (1998), as Auntie Mahalia
- *Built to Last* (1997), series, as Russell Watkins
- *Strategic Command* (1997), as Rowan
- *Mars Attacks!* (1996), as General Casey — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/mars-attacks.md)
- *The Legend of Gator Face* (1996), as Bob
- *The Assassination File* (1996), as Senator Alan Laskey
- *Original Gangstas* (1996), as Reverend Dorsey
- *Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden* (1996), as Horace
- *Dead of Night* (1996), as Vernon
- *White Dwarf* (1995), as Dr. Akada
- *Tyson* (1995), as Don King
- *Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child* (1995), series, as Father (voice)
- *In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King* (1995), as Papa Joe
- *Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale* (1995), as The Old Man
- *In the Flesh* (1995), as William Stone
- *Spider-Man* (1994), series, as Omar Mosley / Black Marvel (voice)
- *Scarlett* (1994), series, as Big Sam
- *Gargoyles* (1994), series, as Jeffrey Robbins (voice)
- *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Sam
- *Baseball* (1994), series, as Various (voice), (voice)
- *The Magic School Bus* (1994), series, as Mr. Ruhle (voice)
- *The Killing Jar* (1994), as Judge
- *Breathing Lessons* (1994), as Daniel Otis
- *Babylon 5* (1994), series, as Gen. Richard Franklin — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/babylon-5.md)
- *Dennis the Menace* (1993), as Chief of Police — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/dennis-the-menace.md)
- *Cliffhanger* (1993), as Walter Wright — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/cliffhanger.md)
- *Irresistible Force* (1993), as Commander Toole
- *Alex Haley's Queen* (1993), series, as Cap'n Jack
- *Picket Fences* (1992), series, as Judge Harold Nance
- *Batman: The Animated Series* (1992), series, as Earl Cooper (voice)
- *The Wish That Changed Christmas* (1991), as Mr. Smith (voice)
- *83 Hours 'Til Dawn* (1990), as Doctor Dantley
- *Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn* (1990), as Jim Watson
- *Presumed Innocent* (1990), as Judge Larren Lyttle — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md)
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Lucius Sweet (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Family Matters* (1989), series, as Jimmy Baines
- *The Women of Brewster Place* (1989), as Sam Michael
- *The Women of Brewster Place* (1989), series, as Sam Michael
- *The Serpent and the Rainbow* (1988), as Lucien Celine
- *Big Shots* (1987), as Johnnie Red
- *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987), series, as Captain Dathon — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-the-next-generation.md)
- *The Charmings* (1987), series, as The Mirror
- *Death Before Dishonor* (1987), as Ambassador
- *The Mighty Pawns* (1987), as Mr. Wright
- *Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story* (1987), as George Hairston
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Derron Holloway
- *Blue City* (1986), as Chief Luther Reynolds
- *Under Siege* (1986), as Andrew Simon
- *227* (1985), series, as Julian C. Barlow
- *The Terminator* (1984), as Traxler — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-terminator.md)
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Starkey
- *Go Tell It on the Mountain* (1984), as Gabriel Grimes
- *Mike's Murder* (1984), as Phillip
- *On the Run* (1983), as Harry
- *For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers* (1983), Actor
- *The Blue and the Gray* (1982), series, as Jonathan Henry
- *White Dog* (1982), as Keys
- *Sister, Sister* (1982), as Eddie Craven
- *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), as Captain Clark Terrell — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan.md)
- *Dreams Don't Die* (1982), as Charlie Banks
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Sampson, Gabriel
- *The Fall Guy* (1981), series, as Bert Perkins
- *The Sophisticated Gents* (1981), series, as Richard 'Bubbles' Wiggins
- *Carbon Copy* (1981), as Bob Garvey
- *Angel City* (1980), as Cy
- *Only the Ball Was White* (1980), as Narrator
- *Roots: The Next Generations* (1979), series, as Dr. Horace Huguley
- *Backstairs at the White House* (1979), series, as Emmett Rogers Sr.
- *King* (1978), series, as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
- *A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich* (1977), as Butler
- *Damnation Alley* (1977), as Keegan
- *The Greatest* (1977), as Draft Lawyer
- *Twilight's Last Gleaming* (1977), as Willis Powell
- *Green Eyes* (1977), as Lloyd Dubeck
- *High Velocity* (1976), as Watson
- *Hustle* (1975), as Louis Belgrave
- *Huckleberry Finn* (1974), as Jim
- *Conrack* (1974), as Mad Billy
- *It's Good to Be Alive* (1974), as Roy Campanella
- *Gordon's War* (1973), as Gordon Hudson
- *The Horror at 37,000 Feet* (1973), as Dr. Enkalla
- *Trouble Man* (1972), as Chalky Price
- *Sounder* (1972), as Nathan Lee Morgan — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/sounder.md)
- *Nichols* (1971), series, as Eddie Joe
- *Brother John* (1971), as Henry Birkardt
- *R.P.M.* (1970), as Steve Dempsey
- *The Lost Man* (1969), as Orville Turner
- *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Barada
- *Julia* (1968), series, as Paul Cameron
- *Who's Minding the Mint?* (1967), as Garbage Man
- *The Perils of Pauline* (1967), as African Servant
- *Mission: Impossible* (1966), series, as Klaus — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/mission-impossible-1966.md)
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as 1st M.P.
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Mitch

## Gallery

- ![Paul Winfield](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-dfccaaefeeef.jpg) Paul Winfield — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Paul_Winfield_Mark_Slade_High_Chaparral_1969_%28cropped%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Chi Muoi Lo, Mary Alice, and Paul Winfield in a scene for Catfish in Black Bean Sauce (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-1cda1f9a6ae5.jpg) Chi Muoi Lo, Mary Alice, and Paul Winfield in a scene for Catfish in Black Bean Sauce (2007) — Dafdl6, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Chi_Muoi_Lo_Mary_Alice_Paul_Winfield_6x4_B.jpg/1280px-Chi_Muoi_Lo_Mary_Alice_Paul_Winfield_6x4_B.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![John B. Anderson at podium with Paul Winfield and Cecil Williams during Anderson's presidential campaign in San Francisco (1980)](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-9b4d065c0a4f.jpg) John B. Anderson at podium with Paul Winfield and Cecil Williams during Anderson's presidential campaign in San Francisco (1980) — Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/John_B._Anderson_with_Paul_Winfield_and_Cecil_Williams.jpg/1280px-John_B._Anderson_with_Paul_Winfield_and_Cecil_Williams.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Paul Winfield](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-bf75f8ca9a8e.jpg) Paul Winfield — Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles Times, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Paul_Winfield.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Paul Winfield](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-35620d2f4604.jpg) Paul Winfield — Image via TMDB
- ![Photo of Paul Winfield and Mark Slade from the television program The High Chaparral. Winfield guest stars as an army deserter who seeks the help of Billy Blue  (1969)](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-a65fecefa094.jpg) Photo of Paul Winfield and Mark Slade from the television program The High Chaparral. Winfield guest stars as an army deserter who seeks the help of Billy Blue  (1969) — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Paul_Winfield_Mark_Slade_High_Chaparral_1969.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Paul Winfield and four unidentified actors on stage in The Threepenny Opera in Los Angeles (1972)](https://film.one/media/person/78239/gallery-974ae9940ca6.jpg) Paul Winfield and four unidentified actors on stage in The Threepenny Opera in Los Angeles (1972) — Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Paul_Winfield_in_Threepenny_Opera.jpg/1280px-Paul_Winfield_in_Threepenny_Opera.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1973: Best Actor (nominated), for *Sounder*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 1995: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Picket Fences*

*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/paul-winfield