DISQUS

Dan Leo · 2 years ago

I have a reputation as the resident hater around here, but I have to say that, although I'm sure that Newman and Redford are far from perfect men, these are two pretty classy guys, and between them they have left a body of work they can be proud of. Two extremely handsome guys who have always been willing to work beyond the boundaries of the extremely handsome leading man, both in their art, and, as you say, Bob, in real life.

Let's hope Redford can enlist a Gene Hackman or a Robert Duvall or a Dustin Hoffman and make that movie.

Tom Watson · 2 years ago

Bob, wonderful post. I met Newman a few three years ago at a Democratic strategy session in Manhattan to plot national fundraising for the (failed) '04 campaign. He was pretty spry and with it then, but you never know about aging. Seemed to be a very nice guy, and as "hater" Dan Leo says, he's made the most of the opportunity and fortune that fame bestowed.

blue girl · 2 years ago

Yeah, great post. It's made me melancholy. I never realized Paul Newman is 11 years older than Robert Redford.

They are two classy guys, all right. And gorgeous and talented and oh, so fun to watch.

Ok. I'm sad now.

David Gray · 2 years ago

I don't have many heroes,but this guy, Newman, has always turned my head. I've watched him for his roles and movies, but more just to watch HIM. And i wouldn't have cared if he was my meter reader; he always exuded something you just wanted to be around more of. Talking about him like this, you'd think he was already gone from us, but for those of us who don't get to race next to him anymore or won't see him the only other way we could, in a role on the screen, it feels like something HAS been taken away. The only thing to salve that is to be thankful for all the joy and pleasure and example he gave us of a life well lived. Thanx to him and thank you for this post.

almostinfamous · 2 years ago

i still get the chills watching Cool Hand Luke, so this is sad. even though they were not 'of my generation', i admire them because the characters they seem to play often have more than just one dimension, something that's getting harder and harder to find in mainstream movies.

Newman's achievements as an actor are only surpassed by his achievements in the field of condiments. long live Newman, long live Newman's Own :)

Jim Tourtelott · 2 years ago

I suppose this means Newman also will not be playing the old preacher with the pistol in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, which he apparently spent some time discussing with William Sloane Coffin before Coffin's death. Too bad. I really would have liked to see the results of Coffin teaching Newman how to do a hell-fire sermon. It could have been as much of a treat as that dandy sermon Duvall preached at the end of The Prophet.