Scott, George C. (1927-1999), was an American actor known for his performances as dominating, intense, and intelligent men. Scott won the 1970 Academy Award as best actor for his portrayal of United States General George S. Patton, Jr., in Patton (1970), but he refused the award, stating that all such awards are meaningless. He also refused an Emmy Award for his performance in the television adaptation of Arthur Miller’s drama The Price in 1971.
George Campbell Scott was born in Wise, Virginia, on Oct. 18, 1927. He attended the University of Missouri and began his professional stage career in 1950, playing about 150 roles in regional stock company productions for the next seven years. Scott made his New York stage debut in William Shakespeare’s Richard III in 1957 and his motion-picture debut in The Hanging Tree (1958).
Scott was nominated for Academy Awards for his performances in Anatomy of a Murder (1959), The Hustler (1961), and The Hospital (1971). His other major films include The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Flim Flam Man (1967), Petulia (1968), Taps (1981), Firestarter (1984), and Malice (1993). He directed and starred in Rage (1972) and The Savage Is Loose (1974). In the mid-1970’s, Scott began to concentrate on movies made for television. He starred in a highly praised TV dramatic series called “East Side, West Side” (1963-1964). He also portrayed Patton again in the TV movie The Last Days of Patton (1986). Scott also occasionally starred in and directed revivals of drama classics in New York City. He died on Sept. 22, 1999.
