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Hollywood Remembers One-of-a-Kind Icon Paul Newman

By CHRISTY LEMIRE

posted: 282 DAYS 14 HOURS AGO

comments: 65

filed under: Gut Reactions, Highbrow, Movie News, Obits, Paul Newman dead at 83

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(Sept. 27) - Paul Newman couldn't have existed today — at least, not the way we came to know him.

Sure, the talent would have been there, the classic good looks, the magnetism, the easy charm. But the privacy he demanded (and won), which helped establish and solidify his mystique as a bona fide movie star, never would have been afforded him in our tabloid-driven, celebrity-obsessed culture.

Sad but true. Part of why we were fascinated with Newman, who died Friday at 83 of cancer, was because we didn't know every gory detail of his life, even though he'd reached the zenith of fame and popularity. He left us craving more — and that he lived and died far from Hollywood's glare in the small town of Westport, Conn., in the converted farmhouse he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, speaks volumes not only about who he was but who he didn't want to be.

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It's hard to think of an actor today who compares in that regard: someone who's blazingly confident on-screen but maintains some mystery about who he really is off of it, someone who would make even hardened, cynical journalists go weak in the knees upon meeting face-to-face. Newman's longtime friend and co-star, Robert Redford, certainly qualifies. But of the current generation of stars? We know too much about Tom Cruise. Will Smith? Leonardo DiCaprio? Johnny Depp, maybe — though he's carved out a path of quirky character roles, despite his leading-man looks.

George Clooney springs to mind, but even he has fought public battles with the paparazzi over the need to respect celebrities' privacy. Clooney himself seemed to recognize the legacy Newman left in reacting to his death Saturday morning: "He set the bar too high for the rest of us ... not just actors, but all of us. He will be greatly missed," he said — through his publicist.

Larger than life? Sure. But looking back at Newman's career, which encompassed nearly 60 feature films over the past half-century, it's the range that leaves an impression. You never forgot you were watching Paul Newman. He was a superstar, after all. He was the draw. But he could fit into a wide variety of parts — unlike some other actors with longevity and stature, who shall remain nameless for these purposes, who have devolved into caricatures of themselves as they've aged.

In just a sampling, Newman played:

— A washed-up football player in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958).

— Pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson in "The Hustler" (1961), the role he would reprise in "The Color of Money" (1986), which, surprisingly, earned him his only Academy Award in 10 nominations.

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— A bad-boy cowboy in "Hud" (1963).

— A rebellious prisoner in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967).

— A train robber alongside Redford, iconically, in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).

— The player-coach of a small-town hockey team in the comedy cult favorite "Slap Shot" (1977).

— A wrongly accused suspect in a rare film that gets journalism right, "Absence of Malice" (1981).

— A cantankerous grandfather in "Nobody's Fool" (1994).

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Remembering a Hollywood Legend

'Hudsucker Proxy'

'Cool Hand Luke'

'The Color of Money'

'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'

— A formidable mob boss in "Road to Perdition" (2002).

Newman came up in the Method-acting tradition, a la Brando, but there was never anything obviously studied about him; he made the swagger look natural. And his evolution over the years — from young and dangerous to middle-aged and struggling to older and wiser — constantly carried with it the aura of dignity.

"His powerful eloquence, his consummate sense of craft, so consummate that you didn't see any sense of effort up there on the screen, set a new standard," said Martin Scorsese, who directed him in "The Color of Money."

Newman himself didn't enjoy talking about acting, and could come off as a bit distant in interviews when asked about it. He did offer some insight to his motivation, however, in 2002:

"I used to make three pictures a year, and now I make a picture every three years. Things change. There have been a lot of good things out there, but they weren't the kind of pictures that I wanted to make. I didn't want to do pictures about explosions. I don't want to do pictures about shattered glass and broken bodies and blood. That just doesn't interest me."

Of course, we came to understand what interested him through his off-camera pursuits later in life. His passion came shining through in his love of, and talent for, auto racing. But it's through his philanthropy — the Newman's Own Foundation, which has raised more than $250 million for charities worldwide, and the Hole in the Wall Camps for children with life-threatening diseases — that he showed his true heart.

Maybe Paul Newman wasn't so hard to figure out after all.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-09-28 05:15:57

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sohniandcompany

06:11 PMDec 07 2008

To Mrs. Newman. My hear goes out to you. My husband died August 30th, my best friend, my life my soul. I think you had the same relationship..no I did not know you, but I do feel your pain..You must feel alot of your life is gone, but then you look at your children and realise he will never been gone. My husband met your wonderful husgand at the coffee shop in the Beverly Hills hotel some 35 years ago...they shared a laugh or two. It seems strange they are both gone little than a month apart..Bless you and your family. He lives on to all of us. Deb

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wbsvel

02:07 AMOct 01 2008

Paul Newman was one of my favorite actors. But I do want to note that you did not include Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes in your Hollywood lost list.

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Eilangel47

08:39 PMSep 30 2008

Our world has lost an actor, a nascar racer, an incredible husband and father but most of all an incredible humanitarian~~may those who never really knew him continue by example to make our world a better place to live in. My deepest sympathy to Joanne and their famiily.Rest in Peace Mr. Paul Newman~~what ypu have accomplished will continue esp. your center for children with cancer

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Eilangel47

08:25 PMSep 30 2008

split...91there's a word you don't know~~~~~~~RESPECT~~~what are you about 10 years old?

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Eilangel47

08:24 PMSep 30 2008

split...91there's a word you don't know~~~~~~~RESPECT~~~what are you about 10 years old?

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PHELAN PHILLY

07:30 PMSep 29 2008

I strongly disagree and kinda resent the manner in which CHRISTY LEMIRE, handled her article on Mr. Paul Newman. Mr. Newman is an American Icon, not just a celebrity. He is in a class of very few, which has EARNED Him the Privacy and Respect He rightfully deserves in any era, in spite of his celebrity. And though we have some very fine, respectable celebrities in our midst, none in our generation come to mind which would truly match his stature. But I do appreciate George Clooney's statement immensely.Those mentioned here in an earlier posing, regarding Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward, Anne Bancroft, Jonny Carson, Bob Hope, etc., etc., are in a Class all their own, which sadly is slipping away.The public was blessed by mere presence of Paul Newman as an entertainer, but overwhelmingly so by his philanthropy and strong belief in the betterment of mankind.My Family wishes to express our sincerest regards of sympathy to Mrs. Joanne Woodward-Newm...

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Bkmoves

04:23 PMSep 29 2008

I cried when I found out that Paul Newman had died. He was one of the best actors and he was one of the best looking man I'd ever seen. By his deeds, I know he was a wonderful person. He stayed loyal to his wife for all those years. What a good man.

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UMICM2008

02:10 PMSep 29 2008

I think Robert Redford said it best. Go in peace Mr Newman you deserve it. God bless your family in their great loss.

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Jh95697

12:29 PMSep 29 2008

This man was an "actor", learned and honed his craft. I can't believe you made that statement that Paul Newman could not exist today. If you did homework, you would know that the studios and the gossip rags are the same then as they are now. Back then they were worse.

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whiteley9468

11:44 AMSep 29 2008

The fact he and Ms Woodward stayed out the Hollywood scene showed where his values were. They were a wonderful couple and great partners. The fact he used his celebrity and money to do good things should be an example to all, not just the Hollywood crowd or the wealthy.RIP Mr. Newman. You will be missed.

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