Missing Paul

Obviously, he hadn't been very active in Hollywood for about a decade, but I think everyone will miss Paul Newman. He was so charismatic. He seemed so amiable. His wide smile lit up the screen like no one else.

He embodied cool both on screen and in real life and managed to do what few in Hollywood have done, maintaining a marriage for 50 years with Joanne Woodward.

While his roles later in life garnered more than their share of critical attention, it was the slew of iconic starring roles in films such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Harper, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Slap Shot, The Verdict, Absence of Malice, The Hustler, and The Sting that emblazoned him into the collective consciousness. He made bold choices, repeatedly chose the part of anti-hero, routinely made those difficult characters easy to love.



I really enjoyed just about everything Paul Newman did and would probably rate him as my favorite actor ever, so it is today that I guess I have to hang my head and lament the fact that we've seen the last of Paul Newman on the big screen and the last of his generous philanthropic ways in the real world.

While his family mourns their loss, I can do no more than wish them well and hope that he went out without the pain we would associate with the cancer that ultimately beat him. We are all sorry for your loss and cannot possibly imagine how you feel.