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I can instantly remember the first Paul Newman movie I saw, where he played the bandit who was on the run from bounty hunters and sherrifs along with another actor named Robert Redford. It was, of course, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It wasn't the impressive acting that captivated me and inspired me, it was that iconoclastic image that defied the conventions of acting.

Paul Newman came from The Actor's Studio. He studied with Lee Strasberg and appeared in a number of plays while in New York. He would segue into film and made an incredible film debut in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof.

But it was the rebellion in some of the characters that he portrayed, and perhaps he is best known for, that wowed and impressed moviegoers in the world.

When I first saw him in Cool Hand Luke, I was rooting for the character from start to end. Luke was a man who resisted authority, who went against the odds of enduring hardship from guards. Even though his character suffered a tragic end, Paul Newman's Luke resonated with audiences. Not since James Dean has another actor like Paul Newman revolutionized the art of acting.

Aside from his acting work, he will also forever be known as a humanitarian, donating nearly $200 million to charities and organizations. Paul Newman was only the greatest actor of his generation, but he was one of the most caring people on this Earth.

When Paul Newman appeared in The Hudsucker Proxy, The Coen Brothers created a character unlike anything Paul Newman had done up to that point: a zany, wacky, ruthless and outrageous character. Playing the scheming, conniving Sidney Mussbinger, this was as cartoonish as Paul Newman will ever reach, and most of all, he gave a fantastic performance.

Sadly, Paul Newman has left this world. But he will leave behind three things that people will remember him for: his acting, his films, and his passion for humanity.

Navid Sitarian
September 27, 2008