Paul Scofield

Born: January 21 1922

Where: Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, England, UK

The actor is best known for his Oscar-winning portrayal of Sir Thomas More in the 1966 version of A Man For All Seasons.

Scofield, who starred alongside Orson Welles and Robert Shaw, has earlier won a Tony award for creating the same role on Broadway.

First and foreomost a stage actor, Scofield's other claim to fame was declining knighthoods in 1968, 1974 and 1986 because he did not want to be known as Sir Paul.

He won a BAFTA for most promising newcomer in the 1955 romantic drama That Lady and went on to star in the WWII drama Carve Her Name With Pride.

In 1964, he played Burt Lancaster's Nazi nemesis in The Train, starred in A Man For All Seasons as well as Tell Me Lies.

Subsequent roles included Nijinsky, Bartleby and the lead in King Lear with Cyril Cusack as well as the Michael Winner thriller Scorpio (again with Lancaster).

In 1985, he starred in Hugh Brody's 1919 and then restricted himself to TV work until Kenneth Branagh's Henry V in 1989.

He followed this with Zeffirelli's Hamlet alongside Mel Gibson and found himself Oscar-nominated for best supporting actor for Quiz Show with Ralph Fiennes.

After more stage and TV work he starred in the big screen version of The Crucible in 1996.