By Iain Blair

Rumors about his poor health had been swirling around town for months, but it was still a shock to hear about Paul Newman’s death. I met and interviewed him several times, and he was always impressive in person – humble, courtly, and fascinating to talk to. He was also strikingly handsome, even in his late ‘70s, and it’s a measure of the man that he never let his great looks get in the way of playing a loser or a jerk – unlike so many leading men who always insist on playing heroes.

Typical of his interesting choices was Nobody’s Fool, a great and underrated film from ’94 in which he gives a brilliant and honest performance as a beaten down construction worker – it also features a great turn from Bruce Willis. Everyone’s seen Butch Cassidy, Cool Hand Luke and The Sting, but if you want to see Newman at the peak of his powers, rent Nobody’s Fool and watch some of the greatest acting you’ll ever see.

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