BREAKING: Paul Newman Dies at 83

by Erik Davis Sep 27th 2008 // 10:00AM

Filed under: Newsstand



"Every time I get a script it's a matter of trying to know what I could do with it. I see colors, imagery. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love. You can't give a reason why." -- Paul Newman

This just in: Legendary actor Paul Newman passed away late last night of cancer. He was 83. Throughout his career in Hollywood, Newman was nominated for countless awards, including Oscars (nominated for ten and didn't win until his seventh time ... and stayed home the year he won!), an Emmy and even a Grammy. Newman's most memorable roles came in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Color of Money (for which he won an Oscar), The Hustler, The Long Hot Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Sting, Cool Hand Luke ... and so many more. In his down time, Newman was married to Joanne Woodward for 50 years, and is also very well known for his philanthropic ways, his race car driving and business ventures (Newman's Own ...). His final role came as the voice of Doc Hudson in Pixar's Cars.

More from our Cinematical writers after the jump. Feel free to share your favorite Newman moments in the comments below ...

From Scott Weinberg: "Like many guys of my generation, it was Slap Shot that first introduced me to the coolness of Mr. Paul Newman. And The Towering Inferno, Fort Apache: The Bronx, The Sting, and Butch Cassidy. And Cool Hand Luke and The Verdict. (Especially The Verdict.) Mr. Newman always seemed to be the epitome of class, coolness, and talent -- and that's because he was. Paul Newman was one of a kind, and Hollywood is now a considerably lesser place without his presence."

From Jessica Barnes: "It's hard to say why Paul Newman meant so much to me as an actor. Maybe it was because his career spanned decades, and he was responsible for some of the most iconic characters to ever grace the screen (Cool Hand Luke, Fast Eddie Felson, and Hud Bannon, to name a few). But, maybe it's because whenever I thought of what made a true gentleman, I thought of Newman -- he will be missed."

From Peter Martin: "Ol' Blue Eyes first made an impression on me in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As Butch, he seemed like the perfect kind of man to become: funny, smart, and reluctant to fight. Right around the time that film was reissued in theaters, The Sting sprung forth and there was Newman as an aging con man, still funny, still smart, still wisely avoiding fisticuffs in favor of the con. After that I tried to see everything he did, whether at the cinema, on television, or (eventually) on video.

He combined the personal star power of celebrity, the kind where the individual's presence leaps off the screen at you, with the fragile nature of the common man, all too weakened by the imperfections of everyday life. I'll always appreciate his outspoken support of charitable causes, marvel at his bare-knuckled enthusiasm for driving a race car, and treasure his performances, none more so than his chilling turn as Frank Galvin, a man fully aware of his mortality who takes one last stab at redemption. That, my friends, is not acting: it is life."

From Eugene Novikov: "As someone whose cinephilia began well after Paul Newman's "heyday" (I think the first Newman movie I saw was Twilight), it wasn't immediately obvious what the big deal about this quiet, dignified old guy was. Then I saw Butch Cassidy, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, The Verdict, etc., and I understood. Newman was every movie star rolled into one, a freakish vortex of talent, charisma, grace, humor and humility. After that, his few 21st century efforts took on a hypnotic quality: I couldn't take my eyes off him. His presence was supernatural.

There are still considerable holes in my Newman background, which I'll have the pleasure of filling in over the coming months and years. That he's gone will add a tinge of sadness to my usual awe. Paul Newman was the coolest guy ever."

From Elisabeth Rappe: "It's a stunning loss -- he really was one of the last of the great actors. He never turned in a bad performance, not even in less than stellar films. And he was one of those actors you truly felt like you knew ... which is rather absurd because he lived such a private life, a rarity in these TMZ times. But he radiated such a genuine goodness -- I don't think I have ever heard one bad thing about him, or a negative quote from him. Just the epitome of class, charm, and kindness. It isn't just a loss for film, the world could use more men like Paul Newman."

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