CNN is reporting that Paul Newman has died at the age of 83. Hollywood has had its share of iconic leading men and its share of great actors, but few combined those qualities quite as potently as Newman. Off-screen, Newman was notable for his long marriage to Joanne Woodward, commitment to charitable causes, and enthusiasm for racing. On-screen he tended to play men whose cool exterior housed an inner fire.
We could probably fill this screen with Newman movies worth seeing, from The Left-Handed Gun through his voice work in Cars. But if you have to choose one, I would go with Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, his 1967 western with pal Robert Redford and director George Roy Hill. His work as Butch Cassidy is quintessential Newman: There's joy in the roguish, good-humored performance that still admits some darkness in the margins. And there's guns-blazing commitment throughout from an actor who never worked in half-measures.