Paul Newman

Paul Newman is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors to ever appear on film. He has never put in a bad performance (but that's not to say all of the films he has been in have deserved his presence). Personal favourites of mine are The Verdict where his performance as the washed up ambulance-chaser was surely the one he deserved the Oscar for, Absence of Malice with it's brilliant finale and Nobody's Fool which is just a great humanist performance. None of these are amongst his best known films and they are all examples of the mature actor. His earlier, more testosterone charged performances, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Hud were also brilliant. Newman is a great humanitarian and his generous efforts for charity are second to none. To me he encapsulates everything that is good about America. So I was very sad to hear of his illness recently and I for one wish him a speedy recovery.