I never met Paul Newman.
But, that didn't stop me from liking the man.
He was a gifted actor and a philanthropist.
For all of his good works and for the way he lived his life, I am not only a fan...I deeply admire him.
He was, without question, my favorite actor.
I have several of his movies on my DVR and I watch them whenever I get a chance. I am pretty sure I have seen "Nobody's Fool" about a dozen times. I own "Slap Shot" and I can quote "Cool Hand Luke". But, it was also the quiet roles that showed the depth of Newman's range as an actor. Movies like "The Verdict" are templates for movies like "Michael Clayton". And, "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" and "The Sting" are respectively two of the best examples of the "buddy film" and westerns I have ever seen. His work with Robert Redford in both of those films is now legendary.
He also starred in the classics "The Hustler", "Hud", "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Towering Inferno". He appeared with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in the feature films "The Long, Hot Summer", "Harry & Son" and "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge". They were also costars in the HBO mini-series "Empire Falls", but they did not have any scenes together.
Newman was nominated for the Academy Award ten times. Finally, twenty-five years after "The Hustler", Newman reprised his role of "Fast" Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese-directed "The Color of Money" (costarring Tom Cruise), for which he won his only Academy Award for Best Actor.
Along with his acting talents, Newman was a co-founder of Newman's Own, a food company from which Newman donated all post-tax profits and royalties to charity. As of May 2007, these donations had exceeded $220 million. All of that money went to his Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The camp is a residential summer camp for seriously ill children, which is located in Ashford, Connecticut. He cofounded the camp in 1988 and named it after the gang in his film "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. One camp has expanded to become several Hole in the Wall Camps in the U.S., Ireland, France and Israel. The camp serves 13,000 children every year, free of charge.
As a political activist, his strong support of Eugene McCarthy in 1968 landed Newman 19th on Richard Nixon's enemies list. He was also a vocal supporter of gay rights and, in particular, same-sex marriage.
Newman also served in the Navy in World War II in the Pacific. He qualified as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers. In 1944, Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to Barber's Point, Hawaii, and was subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons (VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100). He later flew from aircraft carriers as a tail gunner in the Avenger torpedo bomber. As a radioman/gunner, he served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the battle for Okinawa in the spring of 1945. He was ordered to the ship with a draft of replacements shortly before the attack, but by a fluke of war was held back because his pilot had an ear infection. The rest of the men in his detail died.
A week ago Paul sat with his daughter in the arbor of the garden, breathed in all the late summer beauty, and said very quietly, "It's been a privilege to be here." *
Actually, the pleasure was mine. Watching Paul Newman on screen was, for many men, a window into what it means to be a man. Even though Newman was playing characters, you could always see Paul Newman underneath the costume. You could always hear Paul Newman through the scripted words. And every move he made in films, no matter who he played, showed you how even the most humble man never had to suffer being the butt-end of anyone's joke.
The world is a lesser place without men like this. He was a great man who quietly did greater things for total strangers. He used his fame and influence to help others who most of us never think of during the day. He was the living embodiment of a saying I heard once that goes, "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
Here's hoping that more people were watching. Paul Newman lived his life with grace and dignity. He never let fame get in the way of his family, or, the good that he did for other people.
This makes Paul Newman's life truly extraordinary.
I can honestly say, I am sad that Paul Newman is gone from this world.
In my own way, I will miss him.
* http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2008/09/paul-newmans-of.html
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