"Paul Scofield is the most private - and arguably the greatest - of all living British actors. At 80, he is still in peak condition, in creative power, looks and health. No actor of the last century has achieved greater acclaim for the depth and range of his performances, from extreme farce or comedy (including a singing part in a musical), to darkest tragedy." "Many of his roles are already part of the glory of British theatre history. His King Lear transformed that role, perhaps for all time. His two performances as Hamlet were landmark productions. The tour of the second Hamlet to Russia marked a significant thaw in Anglo-Russian cultural contacts." "Scofield, however, is adamantly not a celebrity actor. As guardian of his craft and integrity, he has kept himself most carefully out of the limelight. This, in fact, is the first full biography of him. Garry O'Connor, highly respected for his theatrical biographies, presents a richly drawn, fully dimensional portrait of the great actor. O'Connor interviewed the intensely private Scofield himself, as well as many of the actors and directors he has worked with, including Simon Callow, Trevor Nunn, Richard Eyre, and Peter Hall. The result is a biography of one of the past century's most remarkable and enigmatic icons."--Jacket.