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Paul Newman Voted Best Actor Ever!


© Lea Frydman

Paul Newman has been voted the greatest film actor of all times, according to a survey of film experts.

The man with the most famous blue eyes in Hollywood topped the list based on such criteria as box-office success, Oscar nominations and acting range published in the Radio Times.

Newman whose film credits include "Cat On The Hot Tin Roof," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Hustler" was nominated for the best actor Oscar seven times during his career winning it in 1986 for The Color of Money. The top 10

1. Paul Newman
2. Tom Hanks
3. James Stewart
4. Harrison Ford
5. Marlon Brando
6. Cary Grant
7. Robert Redford
8. Sir Sean Connery
9. Tom Cruise
10. Cary Cooper

Born Paul Leonard Newman was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on 26 January 1925, the second son of Arthur and Theresa Newman. He attributed his good looks to his mixed heritage of being half Jewish (father side) and half Christian (on his mother’s side.)

Newman was so disgusted with his debut performance in The Silver Chalice (1954) that he took out press adverts, garlanded with a funeral wreath, to persuade people to avoid it. It had an adverse effect when crowds flocked to the cinema much to Newman’s dismay.

Oscar-nominated for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958) "The Hustler" (1961) "Hud" (1963) "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) "Absence of Malice" (1981) and "The Verdict" (1982), before finally winning in 1986’s for "The Color of Money." Newman unfazed by the award has since stored his only Oscar in a cupboard.

However, he will admit to the award for his directorial debut, Rachel, Rachel (1968), when his won the New York Critics Prize.

Father to three children, Scott, (who committed suicide) Susan and Stephanie, with first wife Jackie Witte, and three daughters, Nell, Lissy and Clea, with Joanne Woodward. They married in 1958 and now live in Westport, Connecticut. Since the drug death of his son, Newman has donated the proceeds from his own recipe salad dressings and foods to the Scott Newman Foundation. He also represented the USA at the 1978 UN Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.

The press describes him as, “A cool sexuality that is unique in American cinema – an amused quality and a high promise of sex and danger….” Newman retorts with, “My spaghetti sauce out-grosses my films.”

Would you believe the most famous blue eyes are colour-blind? As Paul Newman discovered when he failed his medical to become an air-force pilot.

       

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

2.   Feb 25, 2001 11:19 AM
Hey there, Lea, how are you? I agree, Paul Newman is a great choice here. I enjoyed all his films, "Butch Cassidy," rates as one of my favorites, probably because it had 2 great hunks in it! Hehe. ...

-- posted by Renie_Burghardt


1.   Feb 20, 2001 2:15 PM
Hi Lea,

I forgot how many Newman films I like! Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, and the Sting are among my favorites.

I had no idea he was color blind!

Thanks for another great articl ...


-- posted by Tina_Coruth





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