Acclaimed actor Paul Newman passed away this past Friday of cancer, at age 83.An impossibly handsome actor with trademark azure eyes, Newman was a movie star in the true sense of the word, with a wide range of roles to his credit, and more than a few legendary performances under his belt.
My favorite Paul Newman films are probably The Sting and Cool Hand Luke, but I'm awful fond of his two private eye films Harper and The Drowning Pool, where he gave a letter-perfect portrayal of Ross MacDonald's hero Lew Archer (albeit with a slight name change).
Aside from his remarkable acting career, he was also a renowned philanthropist, who parlayed his name and image into a popular line of food products, the profits of which he donated to various charities. He also established the Hole in the Wall Camps for terminally ill children.
By all reports, he was a genuinely good, honest human being, who kept both a sense of humor and a sense of proportion in regards to his fame. He never lost his idealism nor stopped standing by his convictions, and whether you shared his views or not, you had to respect him.
Rest in peace, sir.
it's hard not to admire Paul Newman for putting his money to work in such productive ways, such as his Newman's Own line--high quality stuff and the proceeds go to good causes... very smart.
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