Enjoying the JourneyThe Words of The Legend Paul Newman
September 30th 2008 00:47
The Words of The Legend Paul Newman
Since posting "A Legend Passes – Paul Newman Memories," I have heard many quotes from Paul Newman and about him. Add in the fact that the last two comments I received on the post were about his quotes and it said to me – “Do a short post including some of his quotes, especially the ones you like.” There are times when I feel it is good to listen to the voices in my head, so here goes.
Here are some words of wisdom from the man, the actor, the humanitarian, The Legend: Paul Newman.
On his marriage to Joanne Woodward that had lasted 50 years:
“I don't like to discuss my marriage, but I will tell you something which may sound corny but which happens to be true. I have steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?” - Paul and Joanne: A Biography of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein
"I've repeatedly said that for people with as little in common as Joanne and myself, we have an uncommonly good marriage. We are actors, we make pictures — and that's about all we have in common. Maybe that's enough. Wives shouldn't feel obligated to accompany their husbands to a ball game, husbands do look a bit silly attending morning coffee breaks with the neighborhood wives when most men are out at work. Husbands and wives should have separate interests, cultivate different sets of friends — and not impose one upon the other." - Paul Newman (1975) by Charles Hamblett
"I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor. You don't want any woman to look under the carpet because there's lots of flaws underneath. Joanne believes my character in a film we did together, 'Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,' comes closest to who I really am. I personally don't think there's one character who comes close... but I learned a long time ago not to disagree on things that I don't have a solid opinion about." - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
"People stay married because they want to, not because the doors are locked." - Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures, ed. Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre-Henri Verlhac (2006)
On his humanitarianism and philanthropy:
"I don't think there's anything exceptional or noble in being philanthropic. It's the other attitude that confuses me." - "Paul Newman's Road To Glory", interview with Paul Fischer, Film Monthly (2002-07-01)
"The concept that a person who has a lot holds his hand out to someone who has less, or someone who isn't hurting holds his hand out to someone who is, is simply a human trait that has nothing to do with celebrity. I am confounded at the stinginess of some institutions and some people. I'm bewildered by it. You can only put away so much stuff in your closet. In 1987, the average CEO against someone who was working in his factory was 70 times. It's now 410 times." - "Paul Newman's Road To Glory," interview with Paul Fischer, Film Monthly (2002-07-01)
"When I realized I was going to have to be a whore, to put my face on the label, I decided that the only way I could do it was to give away all the money we make. Over the years, that ethical stance has given us a 30 per cent boost. One in three customers buys my products because all the profits go to good causes and the rest buy the stuff because it is good." - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"It's all been a bad joke that just ran out of control. I got into food for fun but the business got a mind of its own. Now — my good Lord — look where it has gotten me. My products are on supermarket shelves, in cinemas, in the theater. And they say show business is odd." - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films." - The Times Online (2008-01-26)
On some general stuff:
"Being on President Nixon's enemies list was the highest single honor I've ever received. Who knows who's listening to me now and what government list I'm on?" - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
"I'd like to be remembered as a guy who tried — tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being. Someone who isn't complacent, who doesn't cop out." - The Films of Paul Newman (1971) by Lawrence J. Quirk
“I'm like a good cheese. I'm just getting moldy enough to be interesting.” - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"Building weapons that we don’t need, don’t work, and aren’t necessary, and have no mission — that’s not bad politics, that’s robbery." - "Working for New Priorities," interview with Anita Merina, NEA Today (February 2000)
"I had no natural gift to be anything — not an athlete, not an actor, not a writer, not a director, a painter of garden porches — not anything. So I've worked really hard, because nothing ever came easily to me." - The Daily News (1991-06-10)
"A man with no enemies is a man with no character." - Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures, ed. Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre-Henri Verlhac (2006)
On his acting career:
“I cannot bear to look at a film that I made before 1990. Maybe 1985. There's no sense even trying to explain it. I really just can't watch myself. I see all the machinery at work and it just drives me nuts, so I don't look at anything.” - John Hiscock, "Still the blue-eyed boy," The Telegraph (2002-07-13)
“I like racing but food and pictures are more thrilling. I can't give them up. In racing you can be certain, to the last thousandth of a second, that someone is the best, but with a film or a recipe, there is no way of knowing how all the ingredients will work out in the end. The best can turn out to be awful and the worst can be fantastic. Cooking is like performing and performing like cooking.” - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
“The first time I remember women reacting to me was when we were filming 'Hud' in Texas. Women were literally trying to climb through the transoms at the motel where I stayed. At first, it's flattering to the ego. At first. Then you realize that they're mixing me up with the roles I play — characters created by writers who have nothing to do with who I am.” - Paul and Joanne: A Biography of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein
"Twenty-five years ago I couldn't walk down the street without being recognized. Now I can put a cap on, walk anywhere and no one pays me any attention. They don't ask me about my movies and they don't ask me about my salad dressing because they don't know who I am. Am I happy about this? You bet." - Geoff Pevere, "Getting noticed: the spooky side of celebrity," toronto.com (2007-08-10)
"I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from the sporting goods business." - John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time (1982-12-06)
"I was terrorized by the emotional requirements of being an actor. Acting is like letting your pants down; you're exposed." - John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time (1982-12-06)
"To that extent that you can sustain and maintain that childlike part of your personality is probably the best part of acting." - "Paul Newman's Road To Glory", interview with Paul Fischer, Film Monthly (2002-07-01)
"I started my career giving a clinic in bad acting in the film, "The Silver Chalice," and now I'm playing a crusty old man who's an animated automobile [in 'Cars']. That's a creative arc for you, isn't it?" - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
This next quote came after he finally won an Academy Award in 1986 for “The Color of Money.” He had been nominated seven times previously.
“It's like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally, she relents and you say, 'I am terribly sorry. I'm tired.'” - Tom O'Neil, "Gold Derby,", Los Angeles Times (2006-09-03)
I would like to share one quote from his wife, Joanne Woodward, about their marriage. This is not an exact quote since I could not find it online, but it is close and conveys her point.
"Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat." - Joint interview with Paul Newman on The Today Show
I will wrap up this post with quotes from The Legend Paul Newman with this one last quote. Sadly that surprised look is gone now.
R.I.P. Paul Newman.
“You can't be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: 'Holy Christ, whaddya know — I'm still around!' It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.” - Andrew Buncombe, "After 50 years in film, Cool Hand Newman plans one last hurrah," The Independent (2006-06-17)
Here are some words of wisdom from the man, the actor, the humanitarian, The Legend: Paul Newman.
On his marriage to Joanne Woodward that had lasted 50 years:
"I've repeatedly said that for people with as little in common as Joanne and myself, we have an uncommonly good marriage. We are actors, we make pictures — and that's about all we have in common. Maybe that's enough. Wives shouldn't feel obligated to accompany their husbands to a ball game, husbands do look a bit silly attending morning coffee breaks with the neighborhood wives when most men are out at work. Husbands and wives should have separate interests, cultivate different sets of friends — and not impose one upon the other." - Paul Newman (1975) by Charles Hamblett
"I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor. You don't want any woman to look under the carpet because there's lots of flaws underneath. Joanne believes my character in a film we did together, 'Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,' comes closest to who I really am. I personally don't think there's one character who comes close... but I learned a long time ago not to disagree on things that I don't have a solid opinion about." - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
"People stay married because they want to, not because the doors are locked." - Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures, ed. Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre-Henri Verlhac (2006)
On his humanitarianism and philanthropy:
"The concept that a person who has a lot holds his hand out to someone who has less, or someone who isn't hurting holds his hand out to someone who is, is simply a human trait that has nothing to do with celebrity. I am confounded at the stinginess of some institutions and some people. I'm bewildered by it. You can only put away so much stuff in your closet. In 1987, the average CEO against someone who was working in his factory was 70 times. It's now 410 times." - "Paul Newman's Road To Glory," interview with Paul Fischer, Film Monthly (2002-07-01)
"When I realized I was going to have to be a whore, to put my face on the label, I decided that the only way I could do it was to give away all the money we make. Over the years, that ethical stance has given us a 30 per cent boost. One in three customers buys my products because all the profits go to good causes and the rest buy the stuff because it is good." - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"It's all been a bad joke that just ran out of control. I got into food for fun but the business got a mind of its own. Now — my good Lord — look where it has gotten me. My products are on supermarket shelves, in cinemas, in the theater. And they say show business is odd." - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films." - The Times Online (2008-01-26)
On some general stuff:
"Being on President Nixon's enemies list was the highest single honor I've ever received. Who knows who's listening to me now and what government list I'm on?" - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
"I'd like to be remembered as a guy who tried — tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being. Someone who isn't complacent, who doesn't cop out." - The Films of Paul Newman (1971) by Lawrence J. Quirk
“I'm like a good cheese. I'm just getting moldy enough to be interesting.” - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"Building weapons that we don’t need, don’t work, and aren’t necessary, and have no mission — that’s not bad politics, that’s robbery." - "Working for New Priorities," interview with Anita Merina, NEA Today (February 2000)
"I had no natural gift to be anything — not an athlete, not an actor, not a writer, not a director, a painter of garden porches — not anything. So I've worked really hard, because nothing ever came easily to me." - The Daily News (1991-06-10)
"A man with no enemies is a man with no character." - Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures, ed. Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre-Henri Verlhac (2006)
On his acting career:
“I cannot bear to look at a film that I made before 1990. Maybe 1985. There's no sense even trying to explain it. I really just can't watch myself. I see all the machinery at work and it just drives me nuts, so I don't look at anything.” - John Hiscock, "Still the blue-eyed boy," The Telegraph (2002-07-13)
“I like racing but food and pictures are more thrilling. I can't give them up. In racing you can be certain, to the last thousandth of a second, that someone is the best, but with a film or a recipe, there is no way of knowing how all the ingredients will work out in the end. The best can turn out to be awful and the worst can be fantastic. Cooking is like performing and performing like cooking.” - "Saint Paul," interview with John Aldridge, The Guardian (2005-04-10)
"Twenty-five years ago I couldn't walk down the street without being recognized. Now I can put a cap on, walk anywhere and no one pays me any attention. They don't ask me about my movies and they don't ask me about my salad dressing because they don't know who I am. Am I happy about this? You bet." - Geoff Pevere, "Getting noticed: the spooky side of celebrity," toronto.com (2007-08-10)
"I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from the sporting goods business." - John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time (1982-12-06)
"I was terrorized by the emotional requirements of being an actor. Acting is like letting your pants down; you're exposed." - John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time (1982-12-06)
"To that extent that you can sustain and maintain that childlike part of your personality is probably the best part of acting." - "Paul Newman's Road To Glory", interview with Paul Fischer, Film Monthly (2002-07-01)
"I started my career giving a clinic in bad acting in the film, "The Silver Chalice," and now I'm playing a crusty old man who's an animated automobile [in 'Cars']. That's a creative arc for you, isn't it?" - Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)
This next quote came after he finally won an Academy Award in 1986 for “The Color of Money.” He had been nominated seven times previously.
“It's like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally, she relents and you say, 'I am terribly sorry. I'm tired.'” - Tom O'Neil, "Gold Derby,", Los Angeles Times (2006-09-03)
I would like to share one quote from his wife, Joanne Woodward, about their marriage. This is not an exact quote since I could not find it online, but it is close and conveys her point.
"Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat." - Joint interview with Paul Newman on The Today Show
I will wrap up this post with quotes from The Legend Paul Newman with this one last quote. Sadly that surprised look is gone now.
R.I.P. Paul Newman.
“You can't be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: 'Holy Christ, whaddya know — I'm still around!' It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.” - Andrew Buncombe, "After 50 years in film, Cool Hand Newman plans one last hurrah," The Independent (2006-06-17)
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