And with those words, Paul Newman revealed a lot about himself – his humor, his character, his modesty. I don’t know why, but I felt the tugging of having to say something, not because anyone out there has been eagerly awaiting my tribute, its just a strange feeling when your favorite actor dies. I suppose this is just my little, insignificant, unremarkable way of saying how much I appreciated Paul Newman. No, I did not know him nor did I ever see him on anything other than a screen, but after years of following an actor, admiring him, emulating him, eating his spaghetti sauce, working through his filmography, there is a sense of knowing – and when I received the text message at work earlier today from my brother filling me in on the news, I did feel as though I lost a friend of my own, as silly and clichéd as it may sound.

I credit Cool Hand Luke with being the first movie that really made me examine what was beyond the surface of a film and Newman’s portrayal of Luke Jackson is perfection defined. There is almost something divine about his performance. The Hustler. Hud. The Verdict. Road to Perdition. The Long Hut Summer. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Sting. Somebody Up There Likes Me. Hombre. Sweet Bird of Youth. The Young Philadelphians. Empire Falls. All of these are absolute favorite films of mine, many that I have countless times throughout the years. Exodus. Harper. Slap Shot. The Hudsucker Proxy. Nobody’s Fool. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean. Absence of Malice. Winning. From the Terrace. The Color of Money. The Towering Inferno. The Drowning Pool. The list goes on.

Hmm…

You can read about his life, his career, and his accomplishments everywhere today, so I won’t go there. I will also refrain from getting sappy, because its not my style. I will keep it short and simple: Paul Newman was a class act, a hero in every sense of the word, someone that used his fame and fortune to make the world a better place, and in my opinion, the greatest actor that ever lived. What more can I say?

Reactions

Robert Redford (friend and co-star in Butch Cassidy and The Sting)
“There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life – and this country – is better for his being in it.

Sally Field (co-stared in Absence of Malice)
“I was blessed to have known him. The world is better because of him. Sometimes God makes perfect people, and Paul Newman was one of them.”

Newman’s daughters, Elinor, Melissa, and Clea
“Paul Newman played many unforgettable roles. But the ones for which he was proudest never had top billing on the marquee: Devoted husband. Loving father. Adoring grandfather. Dedicated philanthropist. Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special. Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity. Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: ‘It’s been a privilege to be here.’”

Robert Forrester (vice chairman, Newman’s Own Foundation)
“Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness. His legacy lives on in the charities he support and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much.”

Martin Scorsese
“It’s a great loss, in so many ways. The history of movies without Paul Newman? It’s unthinkable. His presence, his beauty, his physical eloquence, the emotional complexity he could conjure up and trandsmit through his acting in so many movies – where would we be without him? In ‘From the Terrace’ or ‘The Hustler’ or ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ or ‘The Verdict’ or ‘Nobody’s Fool’ to name just a few pictures that come to mind, he’s more than just iconic. In those movies and in many, many others, he created characters that are lasting and durable. 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. My own experience working with him on ‘The Color of Money’ was a joy, and my memories of our time together are precious. But in addition to being a great actor, one of the greatest really, he was also such a fine, caring man. I will miss him greatly.”

Sam Mendes
“Working with him on Road to Perdition was the highlight of my professional life. To say he was an extraordinary man would be an understatement. It seems to me one of the great 20th century lives, a shining example of how to use global fame for the greater good.”

George Clooney
“He set the bar too high for the rest of us … not just actors but all of us. He will be greatly missed.”

Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton
“Paul was an American icon, philanthropist and champion for children. We will miss our dear friend, whose continued support always meant the world to us. Our prayers and thoughts are with Joanne and the Newman family and the many people who Paul impacted through his endless kindess and generosity.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Paul Newman was the ultimate cool guy who men wanted to be like and women adored. He was an American icon, a brilliant actor, a Renaissance man and a generous but modest philanthropist.”

Leonardo DiCaprio
“He belonged to a great lineage and a great generation of actors that really changed what acting is in cinema and it’s a sad day, certainly. For me personally, I also just recognize him as sombody – the kind of life I would like to lead in this industry. Not only was he classy, a phenominally talented person, but he had a normal life, and he was also extremely philanthropic and gave back such a tremendous amount. He was the ultimate role model in that account.”

Russell Crowe
“He was one of those guys who was an inspiration to my whole life. And he always came up with something interesting. He gave some magnificent performances.”

Arthur Newman (brother)
“Beyond his place as a world famous ’super star,’ his reputation as a top international racecar driver and rightful recognition as a most generous global philanthropist, Paul was my loyal and supportive brother for the past 83 years. Although he was a year younger, from the time we were boys, I always considered him my role model and mentor. His love for (wife) Joanne (Woodward), his daughters, and all in our family, will provide us strength in times to come. He was just about the best human being I have ever known.”

Newman Quotables

[On why he never committed adultery]: “I have steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?”

“You can’t be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: ‘Holy Christ, whaddya know – I’m still around!’ It’s absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.”

“The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films.”

“From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being… by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.”

“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.”

[After finally winning an Oscar for The Color of Money]: “It’s like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally, she relents and you say, ‘I’m terribly sorry. I’m tired.”

“I picture my epitaph: ‘Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown.’”

“I don’t think there’s anything exceptional or noble in being philanthropic. It’s the other attitude that confuses me.”

“I’d like to be remembered as a guy who tried – who tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being. Someone who isn’t complacent, who doesn’t cop out.”

“A man with no enemies is a man with no character.”

Tributes Around the Web

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Cinematical
Cinema Styles
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Edward Copeland on Film
Film Experience
Film Junk
Film School Rejects
Filmstalker
GreenCine Daily
JoBlo
Joe Carnahan’s Blog
Latino Review
New York Times
Screen Rant
Slashfilm
Time
The AV Club
The Superficial
Westport Now (Local Connecticut News)