Paul Geoffrey, who starred as Percival in Excalibur and appeared in Better Call Saul, has died aged 68
- Geoffrey died of cancer on June 3
- The actor played a pivotal role as Perceval, an important ally of King Arthur, in Excalibur
- The English actor moved to New Mexico and went broke in real estate
Paul Geoffrey, the film and television actor who starred in Excalibur and made a brief appearance in Better Call Saul, has passed away.
The actor was 68 when he died of cancer on June 3, according to an obituary that ran in the newspaper. Santa Fe New Mexican.
Geoffrey played a series of roles in films and television series in the 1980s, before completely ruling out the 2000s.
He returned to acting in the past decade with occasional roles, and his last role was in an episode of the 2019 Epix series Perpetual Grace.
Born and raised in England, Geoffrey began a second career as a real estate agent after moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, though later in life he managed to balance his new profession with his first love.
Movie and TV actor: Paul Geoffrey, the movie and television actor who appeared in Excalibur (pictured) and had a brief appearance in Better Call Saul, died of cancer on June 3 at age 68
Major series: One of his last roles in a high-profile series was in a 2015 episode of Better Call Saul; pictured with star Bob Odenkirk (R)
“Paul was an actor at heart and continued to act for the rest of his life. He loved French wine and food, had an amazing understanding of history, was a lifelong Arsenal fan and excelled at being the sweetest man in the world,” read a portion of his obituary.
Geoffrey’s most prominent role was in the 1981 classic Excalibur, playing Perceval.
The film offers a dark and brutal take on the Arthurian legend, and director and co-screenwriter John Boorman filled the film with disturbing, surreal imagery.
The film also featured Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson, and it helped boost the early careers of Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, and Ciarán Hinds, among others.
While some critics were turned off by its dark fantasy elements, it received mostly reviewer approval and was a commercial success. It also won an award for best artistic contribution at the Cannes Film Festival.
Geoffrey’s role was particularly important, as Perceval is the only survivor after Arthur and his knights all fall, and is tasked with throwing Arthur’s sword back at the Lady of the Lake, who reclaims it.
The movie may have helped the actor earn a series of consecutive roles, but his career never took off like several of his Excalibur costars.
Geoffrey’s next major role was as Lord John ‘Jack’ Clayton in Ralph Richardson’s 1984 Tarzan film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan.
Geoffrey would later appear as Mr. Lockwood in the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, starring Juliette Binoche.
Star moment: Geoffrey played the central role of Perceval in Excalibur and had a pivotal moment in the movie after the deaths of Arthur’s other knights, but his career never took off like several of his costars; still from Excalibur
Keeping Busy: He next appeared in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984), along with a 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Juliette Binoche and a 1995 TV movie by Anna Karenina; still from Excalibur
He also appeared in a 1995 TV movie adaptation of Anna Karenina, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Christopher Reeve.
He appeared in an episode of Inspector Morse in the late 1980s, and stuck to the mystery theme with a 1990 episode of Poirot.
One of his last high-profile shows was Better Call Saul, in which he appeared in an episode in 2015 as a tailor. The series was filmed in his adopted home state of New Mexico.
Geoffrey is survived by his wife Sue Taylor and their three children: Alex, Oliver and Daisy. No memorial plans have been revealed