Acting Icon Paul Newman Dies at 83

Paul Newman was an understated Hollywood maverick-not in the John McCain sense of the word-whose work on and off the screen will be dearly missed. He not only carried the James Dean essence-of-cool torch (by taking Dean's lead role in "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956) when Dean was killed in a car crash), but he also set his own unique standard, choosing unconventionally troubled, complex roles when he could have stuck with box-office blockbusters. Behind those achingly gorgeous blue eyes was the mind of a man who dared to defy the larger-than-life stereotype of his hunky Hollywood peers, and he certainly succeeded.

The first time I saw Paul Newman on screen was in "The Hustler," a film made in 1961 that featured George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason. Newman played a cunning billiards maestro, and I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was beautifully talented, beautifully poised and just plain beautiful. I went through a Paul Newman phase, hitting all the stops-"Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), "The Sting" (1973)-and then I realized that it would take me quite awhile to tackle his impressive, diverse resume of over 50 movies.

I also remember detailing my cinematic discovery to my friends. When asked if they had ever seen Newman act, they'd respond, "Oh, you mean the salad dressing guy? He was an actor?" Swallowing whatever cynical retort I had on tap, I would mention something about "Butch Cassidy" and then drop it. At least they bought his products.

That salad dressing was actually part of his philanthropic success, Newman's Own Foundation. All profits from the products-salad dressing included-are donated to charity; thus far, $250 million has been raised, and the Newman's Own foundation will continue to honor the memory of its beloved founder.