Born on 26 January, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA, the superstar would have been 84 years old in January 2009. In fact, he died four months prior to his birth date. To be quite honest, even though Paul Newman starred in over 60 films with eight best actor awards and one best picture award added to his name, he never impressed me all that much.

Many a female might have swooned at his good looks but having watched him in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Mackintosh Man and Somebody Up There Likes Me, I thought that though the guy was adorned with more than his fair share of good looks all right, he wasn’t much of an actor, though to be quite fair to the man, I did like his performance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Towering Inferno.

Then again they were good movies. Being a great movie means you go for the film not mainly for the actor, though I could watch a boring Kevin Costner film thrice over just because this man of my dreams had the main part. Still Paul Newman’s death came as a bit of a shock as it did apparently to Robert Redford, his co-star in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. His comment after hearing of his friend’s death was “there is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life, and the country, is better for his being in it.” There are some people you somehow cannot picture as dead. Paul Newman was one of them. He was so alert, so vibrant with those mesmerising piercing blue eyes even though they faded slightly as he aged.

What I admired most about Paul Newman is his unwavering love for his leading lady of 47 years, Joanne Woodward. In Hollywood, actors and actresses change partners like they change their underwear so Newman was a novelty. Asked in an interview once why he was so determined to be faithful to his wife, the popular actor stated “why go for a hamburger when I have a steak at home”. What a first prize comment, coming from one of Hollywood’s big time legends. With divorce being the main topic of our political conversations, and infidelity being probably the number one issue regarding broken marriages, I wonder if Maltese husbands and wives would take a leaf out of Newman’s own book and prefer steak at home rather than a hamburger!

Safe journey Paul. Somebody up there does love you.

Valerie Borg

Valletta