The legendary Paul Newman is dead at 83. Newman was a favorite of many lawyers (particularly this lawyer) for his great performances in law-related movies from Cool Hand Luke to The Verdict.
My personal favorite was Cool Hand Luke. His epitaph may have been written in that movie by the voice over:
“He was smiling… That’s right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn’t know it ‘fore, they could tell right then that they weren’t a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he’s a natural-born world-shaker.”
That pretty much sums up the man.
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I dreaded hearing this news, but knew it was coming after seeing a recent photo of Newman.
Even though he was a kick-ass actor, the best, it was his charitable nature and absence of celebrity that endeared me to him. His organization, last I heard, has given away over a quarter of a billion dollars.
We can take comfort in the knowledge that his charity will live on and will continue to help people around the world. This is the definition of greatness.
Newman was one of the greatest actors of all time.
I can’t believe hes gone.
A great actor and more importantly, a great person. One of the most charitable people in the world. A strong family man with one of the few long time marriages in Hollywood. He is already missed.
If you want to see what a fine actor he was, not that all his movies don’t demonstrate that, but check out a movie he did in the 90′s called “Nobody’s Fool”.
Its a simple little story but Newman is amazing in it. He really was something special.
Bigger than life.
In truth, next to Cool Hand Luke, Nobody’s Fool is my favorite and I believe was arguably his best performance.
Sorry, don’t mean to overpost but that is spot on. I’ve always felt it was a superior performance. It had a realness to it that just hit home. He created a character that I bet each one of us knows in our circle of family and friends and even though he didn’t play a lawyer in it, I can still see why the movie still might appeal particularly to attorney’s.
After all, he had a one legged Jewish attorney who couldn’t win a hand of poker or a case.
In fact, he lost his prosthetic leg playing poker with the chief of police. Talk about a pound of flesh.
Cool Hand Luke (1967):
“Dragline: He was smiling… That’s right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn’t know it ‘fore, they could tell right then that they weren’t a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he’s a natural-born world-shaker.”
So was Paul Newman. RIP
Sorry for the repeat. It just bears repeating.
Rest Peacefully Paul Newman.
His work as a Philanthropist was wonderful as was his work as a gifted actor!
My favorite line of his was “This is the case, This is THe case”!
I have always had enormous respect for Paul Newman as a public figure and as a human being. He’s was a fine actor, a gentleman, a sportsman and an independent spirit filled with intelligence, love and compassion. His dedication to his wife and family and to the needs of others through his charities and foundation are his lasting legacy. His was a life that defines what is means to be a fully developed man.
I had read and loved Nobody’s Fool before the movie was made. When I heard there was going to be a movie, I was dreading it because of how often the movie version gets the book completely wrong. But then I heard that Paul Newman was going to star. As soon as I heard it I realized that he was exactly right for the part. The movie although it (of course) simplified the book, got the character and the point of the book right. It was one of the few times that I actually thought the movie was worthy of a very good book. It seems that everyone who knew him really loved him. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Dahlia Lithwick’s piece in Slate about being a counseler at his camp for kid’s with cancer. http://www.slate.com/id/2201116/
I used to see him race Datsuns at Limerock in the days when we got Press passes to take photos there. He would emerge, suited up, from his air-conditioned Winnebago, as the rest of us were sweating in the pits-literally, put on his helmet, climb in his ride, and proceed to win the race – usually.
He had the best car and the best crew, of course, but he also happened to be a natural-born, world-class driver!
Victorious in life, a final wave of the checkered flag…
RIP
Scorcese made a great move enlisting him to revise a role, Fast Eddie Felson, in ‘The Color Of Money’. Newman wouldn’t do it until the script reflected his idea of how Fast Eddie would talk and behave. One of the best ‘sequels’ ever produced.
And even though it may fly under the radar of his great films, I still and always will love ‘Slap Shot’.
Paul Newman is a legend for his work in movies, and he’s a stud for all his work outside of movies