Biography
A native of Manchester, England, born in 1951, actor David Schofield grew up in a working-class family as one of ten children, and first caught the drama bug at age 12, at an all-boy's school located in his hometown. Deeply interested in the theater, Schofield began not onstage but in the wings, taking backstage positions at a local repertory theater that included waiting tables, making tea, building props, sweeping the stage, and - ultimately - scripting plays. At age 19, Schofield left this establishment to enroll in London's legendary Academy of Music and Dramatic art, and soon began regularly accepting professional roles with a much heavier emphasis on theater than on film; in fact, Schofield frequently performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at theaters in the West End of London. He moved into filmed work in the early 1970s and thereafter maintained a steady output of assignments in films and on television. Memorable features included
Ridley Scott's Best Picture-winner
Gladiator (2000), the Hughes Brothers' Jack the Ripper thriller
From Hell (2001), the elaborate fantasy-adventure Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and the
Tom Cruise-produced World War II thriller
Valkyrie (2008). Series (mostly British) that featured Schofield in recurring or guest capacities included
The Bill,
Our Friends in the North and Holby City. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide