01of 15CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOFCourtesy Everett CollectionPlaying Brick, a deeply unhappy man who’d rather drink than have sex withhis wife (Elizabeth Taylor), Newman picked up his first Oscar nomination forthe 1958 adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play.
01of 15
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
Courtesy Everett Collection
Playing Brick, a deeply unhappy man who’d rather drink than have sex with
his wife (Elizabeth Taylor), Newman picked up his first Oscar nomination for
the 1958 adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play.
02of 15THE LONG HOT SUMMERCourtesy Everett CollectionAlthough they weren’t wed to each other at the time they shotTheLong Hot Summer(1958), this southern-soaked drama would be the first ofmore than a half-dozen films the actor and soon-to-be wife Joanne Woodwardwould costar in together over five decades.
02of 15
THE LONG HOT SUMMER
Although they weren’t wed to each other at the time they shotThe
Long Hot Summer(1958), this southern-soaked drama would be the first of
more than a half-dozen films the actor and soon-to-be wife Joanne Woodward
would costar in together over five decades.
03of 15THE HUSTLER20th Century Fox Film/Courtesy Everett CollectionNewman scored both a box office and critical hit in 1961 playing a poolhustler who challenges champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) to a bigmoney game. The black-and-white drama earned him a second Oscar nominationfor Best Actor.
03of 15
THE HUSTLER
20th Century Fox Film/Courtesy Everett Collection
Newman scored both a box office and critical hit in 1961 playing a pool
hustler who challenges champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) to a big
money game. The black-and-white drama earned him a second Oscar nomination
for Best Actor.
04of 15HUDBradley Smith/CorbisNewman was downright bad – as in amoral – when he portrayed thesexy louse of a title character in the 1963 contemporary western. But thatdoesn’t mean he wasn’t good – the brash role nabbed him his third BestActor nomination.
04of 15
HUD
Bradley Smith/Corbis
Newman was downright bad – as in amoral – when he portrayed the
sexy louse of a title character in the 1963 contemporary western. But that
doesn’t mean he wasn’t good – the brash role nabbed him his third Best
Actor nomination.
05of 15HARPERCourtesy Everett CollectionJoining the gumshoe game in 1966, the actor was the coolest of privatedetectives as Lew Harper, a role he’d reprise nine years later inThe Drowning Pool.
05of 15
HARPER
Joining the gumshoe game in 1966, the actor was the coolest of private
detectives as Lew Harper, a role he’d reprise nine years later inThe Drowning Pool.
06of 15
COOL HAND LUKE
Tapping into the rebellious ’60s zeitgeist, Newman scored a huge hit playing
a prison inmate who refused to buckle to authority inCool Hand
another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 1967.
07of 15BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KIDCentury Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection"I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals," Newman (withKatharine Ross) famously said in his partners-in-crime classic costarringfellow hunk Robert Redford. The 1969 comedic western, about a pair ofreal-life outlaws, was a box-office blockbuster that made a legend out ofthe actor and turned the younger Redford into a bankable star.
07of 15
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
“I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals,” Newman (with
Katharine Ross) famously said in his partners-in-crime classic costarring
fellow hunk Robert Redford. The 1969 comedic western, about a pair of
real-life outlaws, was a box-office blockbuster that made a legend out of
the actor and turned the younger Redford into a bankable star.
08of 15WINNINGCourtesy Everett CollectionNewman put his need for speed – off-screen, he was a skilledrace-car-driving enthusiast and had the trophies to prove it – intoWinning(1969), getting behind the wheel to play an ambitious prodriver aiming to make it to the Indianapolis 500.
08of 15
WINNING
Newman put his need for speed – off-screen, he was a skilled
race-car-driving enthusiast and had the trophies to prove it – into
Winning(1969), getting behind the wheel to play an ambitious pro
driver aiming to make it to the Indianapolis 500.
09of 15THE STINGUniversal Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionCavorting about as a couple of con men during the Great Depression, Newmanreteamed with Redford inThe Sting(1973) and, again, the pairingproved box-office magic. And who can forget that ragtime score?
09of 15
THE STING
Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Cavorting about as a couple of con men during the Great Depression, Newman
reteamed with Redford inThe Sting(1973) and, again, the pairing
proved box-office magic. And who can forget that ragtime score?
10of 15THE TOWERING INFERNOCentury Fox/Courtesy Everett CollectionIn one of the sillier movies he ever made, Newman played an architect whohelps rescue people when a fancy new skyscraper he has designed goes up inflames. At the time (1974), big-budget disaster movies were inexplicably invogue. (Trivia note: O.J. Simpson plays a security guard in the movie.)
10of 15
THE TOWERING INFERNO
In one of the sillier movies he ever made, Newman played an architect who
helps rescue people when a fancy new skyscraper he has designed goes up in
flames. At the time (1974), big-budget disaster movies were inexplicably in
vogue. (Trivia note: O.J. Simpson plays a security guard in the movie.)
11of 15SLAP SHOTCourtesy Everett CollectionThe actor gave one of his sharpest performances as the carousingplayer-coach of a minor league hockey team stuck in a backwater town inSlap Shot(1977), a classic sports movie that is now sparkingtalk of a remake in Hollywood.
11of 15
SLAP SHOT
The actor gave one of his sharpest performances as the carousing
player-coach of a minor league hockey team stuck in a backwater town in
Slap Shot(1977), a classic sports movie that is now sparking
talk of a remake in Hollywood.
12of 15THE COLOR OF MONEYBuena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett CollectionAfter six acting nominations and an honorary Oscar, Newman finally took homethe golden statue when he reprised his role asHustlerpoolsharpie Eddie Felson inThe Color of Money(1986), this timeshowing a talented newcomer (Tom Cruise) his way around the felt.
12of 15
THE COLOR OF MONEY
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
After six acting nominations and an honorary Oscar, Newman finally took home
the golden statue when he reprised his role asHustlerpool
sharpie Eddie Felson inThe Color of Money(1986), this time
showing a talented newcomer (Tom Cruise) his way around the felt.
13of 15
EMPIRE FALLS
HBO/Courtesy Everett Collection
As an elderly ne’er-do-well stuck in a small Maine town, Newman again played
2005 HBO movieEmpire Falls.It was his second pairing with the
Pulitzer Prize winner’s work: He had earlier starred in the adaptation of
Nobody’s Fool(1994), which earned him yet another Oscar nod.
14of 15OUR TOWNWestport Country Playhouse/Everett CollectionFirst he returned to Broadway and his theater roots to play the folksyNarrator, the Stage Manager, in a revival of Thornton Wilder’sOurTown;then Newman gave an encore performance in a filmed version, whichfirst aired on PBS in 2003.
14of 15
OUR TOWN
Westport Country Playhouse/Everett Collection
First he returned to Broadway and his theater roots to play the folksy
Narrator, the Stage Manager, in a revival of Thornton Wilder’sOur
Town;then Newman gave an encore performance in a filmed version, which
first aired on PBS in 2003.
15of 15ROAD TO PERDITIONDreamWorks/Courtesy Everett CollectionFor his chilling turn as an aging Mob boss inRoad to Perdition(2002), costarring Tom Hanks, Newman snagged his last Oscar nomination– his tenth (nine for acting, and one for directing 1968’sRachel, Rachel) – this time for Best Supporting Actor. The role alsowould prove to be one of his last on the big screen.
15of 15
ROAD TO PERDITION
DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
For his chilling turn as an aging Mob boss inRoad to Perdition(2002), costarring Tom Hanks, Newman snagged his last Oscar nomination
– his tenth (nine for acting, and one for directing 1968’sRachel, Rachel) – this time for Best Supporting Actor. The role also
would prove to be one of his last on the big screen.
source: people.com
