Born in Los Angeles, California, he first became well-known to audiences when he appeared for several years opposite Diahann Carroll on the groundbreaking television series Julia. He also starred as Martin Luther King, Jr in the miniseries King. In 1972, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Sounder.
Winfield has also starred in more recent miniseries, including Roots: The Next Generation, Alex Haley's Queen and Scarlett.
Winfield gained many fans for his guest starring role in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Darmok.