On January 26th, Paul Newman would have turned 100 years old. He was one of the greatest movie stars of all time; he was the mentor to many future stars such as Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks to name a few. A World War II veteran, a graduate of the Actor’s Studio, a NASCAR driver, founder of the dressing empire Newman’s Own, a recipient of many prestigious acting awards, a philanthropist, a supporter of the civil rights movement, a husband, a father, and the coolest movie star to grace the silver screen. This is a list of the 10 greatest performances of Paul Newman.
#1. The Verdict (20th Century Fox)
In this 1982 legal drama, Paul Newman plays Frank Galvin, an alcoholic attorney who tries to make a living as an abulance chaser. When he is assigned a medical malpractice case by his friend Micky (played by Jack Warden) about a young woman who is in a coma due to a critical mistake made by her doctors. This is Newman’s best performance; he portrays Frank as a desperate lawyer who has alot of personal demons, but he pushes them aside to defeat crooked doctors, an angry judge, a malicious prosecution team, and a spy. The Verdict recieved five Oscar nominations, including one for Newman’s performance.
Directed By: Sidney Lumet.
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Fandango, YouTube, Apple TV+, and DVD.
#2. Cool Hand Luke (Warner Bros.)
Newman plays the OG charming rapscallion prisoner Lucas “Luke” Jackson in this 1967 prison drama directed by Stuart Rosenberg. Newman has exited his moody young man era and is entering into his charming slightly older man era in this film. Luke is a man who enjoys bringing the morale up with his fellow inmates, asserting dominance with fellow inmate Dragline (George Kennedy in his Oscar winning performance), eating lots of hard-boiled eggs, and giving the prison guards a hard time. His performance as Luke is full of heart, charisma, humor, and rebellion.
Directed By: Stuart Rosenberg
Where To Watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV+. Fandango, and DVD.
#3. The Hustler (20th Century Fox)
Before his Oscar-winning performance as “Fast” Eddie Felson in The Color of Money, Newman first played the role in 1961 in The Hustler. “Fast” Eddie Felson, is a pool hustler who lets his pride take the best of him; he meets a pool hall legend named Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason in an Oscar nominated role) who beats Felson in a 25-hour game, an alcoholic young woman named Sarah (who becomes his lover), and Bert, a sadistic man who convinces Felson to work for him so he can recieve 75% of his winnings. Newman absolutely steals the show as the cool, yet tempermental Felson.
Directed By: Robert Rossen.
Where To Watch: Prime Video, YouTube, Fandango, Apple TV+, and DVD.
#4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (20th Century Fox)
In 1969 Newman and Redford teamed up for the first time in this biographical western penned by William Goldman. Newman plays Butch Cassidy and Redford plays the Sundance Kid, two train robbers who are on the run and they take their companion Etta (Katharine Ross) with them to Bolivia. Newman plays Butch Cassidy with a twinkle in his eye, a mischeivious smile, and loads of charm. Though the movie ends in a bittersweet way don’t let it keep you from watching this rip-roaring film.
Directed By: George Roy Hill
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Fandango, YouTube, Apple TV+, and DVD.
#5. The Sting (Universal Pictures)
In this 1973 re-teaming of Newman, Redford, and Hill comes a fantastic film about two con men who try to pull a job on a mob boss (Robert Shaw in an Oscar nominated role) after one of their friends is murdered. Newman plays Henry Gondorff, a con man who is hiding from the FBI and is running a brothel; He is the seasoned con artist who teaches the younger con man a la Redford the art of the con. This is during the beginning of Newman’s “older man” career that starts with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and ends with his final appearance in Cars. Newman brings his signature charm to this comedy caper.
Directed By: George Roy Hill
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Fandango, Apple TV+, and DVD.
#6. Nobody’s Fool (Paramount Pictures)
Directed by the late Robert Benton, Newman plays Donald “Sully” Sullivan, a stubborn freelance construction worker who is estranged from his family. This might be Newman’s most emotionally touching role, as a father (and grandfather) who is wrestling with reconnecting with family. Newman brings wry humor, sadness, and a realism that is authentic and void of any sentimentality. Surrounded by a fantastic cast of Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, and Philip Seymour Hoffman; Newman elevates this simple family drama.
Directed By: Robert Benton
Where To Watch: Tubi, YouTube TV, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Fandango, and DVD.
#7. The Color of Money (Touchstone Pictures)
In this 1986 sequel to The Hustler, Newman reprises his role as “Fast” Eddie Felson. Now a much older man who has retired from hustling and is a liqour salesman…that is until Vincent (Tom Cruise) and his girlfriend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in an Oscar nominated performance) appear at the bar he is at. When he sees how experienced they are at pool but not at hustling, he decides to teach them. Newman gives Felson a renewed sense of maturity and wisdom that the film needs. Newman won an Oscar for his performance.
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, Fandango, and DVD.
#8. Hud (Paramount Pictures)
Paul Newman plays an absolute b*stard in this 1963 film. Newman plays the titular Hud, a selfish son of a rancher (Melvyn Douglas in his first of two Oscar winning roles) who is brought to his family’s ranch due to a death of a cow. Anything Hud does brings pain and suffering to everyone involved; from killing buzzards that clean the land to trying to get all of his relatives cut out of his father’s will. This might be Newman’s most despicable character to date.
Directed By: Martin Ritt
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Fandango, Apple TV+, and DVD.
#9. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Warner Bros.)
In this steamy Tennessee Williams adaptation, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor play Brick and Maggie Pollitt; a young couple who are visiting the family plantation for Big Daddy’s (Burl Ives) birthday. Brick is an ex-high school athlete who is a drunk, and is worried about losing his inheritence due to his brother’s abundance of children. Newman portays Brick with such restraint, you almost cannot believe that this would be the most charismatic movie star of the 20th century. The chemistry between Newman and Taylor is hot enough to melt the screen.
Directed By: Richard Brooks.
Where To Watch: Fandango, Apple TV+, Prime Video, and DVD.
#10. Road to Perdition (DreamWorks Pictures)
In this gangster drama, Newman plays John Rooney, a mob boss who is the father to two sons; Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) his most trusted employee and Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig) his own biological son who is stealing from him. Newman’s character exudes a quiet menace, complex parental feelings, and the need to do what he feels is right; Whether that is letting his own biological son get brought to justice or telling his most trusted employee to give up a life of crime to raise his child. Newman received his final Oscar nomination for this performance.
Directed By: Sam Mendes
Where To Watch: Paramount+, Hulu, Prime Video, Fandango, YouTube TV, Apple TV+, and DVD.
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