Paul Winfield was an American actor.

He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film Sounder (1972), which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

He portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Winfield was also known for his roles in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, L.A. Law, and 24 episodes of the sitcom 227.

He received four Emmy nominations overall, winning in 1995 for his 1994 guest role in Picket Fences.

Winfield died March 7, 2004, in Los Angeles, California. He was 64.