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His
piercing blue eyes and chiselled features would’ve sufficed to make
him a Hollywood star. Such stardom, however, would’ve been
superficial, only skin-deep. With histrionics to match his looks, Paul
Newman has wowed audiences for the past over five decades. The
82-year-old’s decision to quit films has certainly disappointed his
legion of fans, who were expecting another remarkable performance from
the versatile veteran. Nevertheless, his oeuvre is so full of riches
that one can spend a lifetime enjoying his best works.
Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002), in which Newman played a guilt-ridden gangster, has turned out to be his swansong. It was a smallish supporting role, but he managed to steal the show from the protagonist (Tom Hanks). That’s the hallmark of a movie legend—transfixing viewers merely with his presence. Born on January 26, 1925, Newman started off with an undistinguished debut as a Greek craftsman in the Biblical epic The Silver Chalice (1954). His brooding intensity and raw sexuality made the film world hail him as the "new Brando" (the latter was the hottest male star around in those days). It took him some time to come out of Marlon Brando’s huge shadow and establish an identity of his own. His breakthrough role was that of boxer Rocky Graziano, who rose from the slums to become the middleweight world champion, in Robert Wise’s Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). Martin Ritt’s The Long Hot Summer (1958) paired him for the first time with Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward. It was the beginning of a beautiful and enduring relationship—they tied the knot in 1958 and went on to star in Rally Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), From the Terrace (1960), A New Kind of Love (1963), Winning (1969) and Mr and Mrs Bridge (1990). In a Hollywood rarity, their marriage has lasted for about half a century and is still going strong (touch wood!). Despite his commendable work in movies like The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Cool Hand Luke (1967) and The Verdict (1982), the Oscar inexplicably eluded him for quite a while. He finally got one for Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986), portraying a former pool champion who takes the young Tom Cruise under his wing (Newman had earlier played the same character, "Fast" Eddie Felson, in The Hustler). George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) remains his most popular film. This bittersweet "anti-Western" starred him as an on-the-run outlaw. Robert Redford played Butch’s partner-in-crime Sundance, the role that made him a star. Incidentally, Brando was to play Butch and Newman was to be cast as Sundance, but the former turned down the part. Newman and Redford looked literally as thick as thieves as they hopped from one (mis)adventure to another. (The Jai-Veeru duo in Sholay owes much to this wonderful pair). The twosome was such a hit that they came together again for the same director’s The Sting (1973), this time playing small-time Chicago con men. While the first movie bagged four Oscars, the second pocketed seven, though none for its two stars. Newman’s love for racing saw him feature as a Grand Prix driver in Winning (1969). He did all the pulse-raising driving scenes without the help of a stuntman. Arguably, his tour de force was Sidney Lumet’s The Verdict. The poignant portrayal of an alcoholic lawyer who fights a "hopeless" case to redeem himself was the inspiration for Sunny Deol’s character in Damini (1993). Sunny bagged a National Award, even though his performance lacked the subtlety of the original. Newman tried his hand at direction with moderate success, making Rachel Rachel (1969), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) and The Glass Menagerie (1987)—which all starred his wife Joanne. His co-star and friend Redford eclipsed him behind the camera, even winning a best director Oscar for Ordinary People (1980). However, Newman has proved to be by far the better actor of the two. "Acting is like letting your pants down: you’re exposed," Newman once said in his unforgettable husky voice. No wonder he has
portrayed the drifter or the outcast so convincingly in a wide variety
of films. His cinematic accomplishments, coupled with the resounding
success of his fund-raising food company, have made him a true-blue
American idol.
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