Book Review
Paul Newman, the movie idol who never bought into his own myth
A new memoir from interviews recorded in the eighties reveals a modest man with whom fame never sat easily; felt guilty about the death of his son from an overdose and who preferred talking about his charity work and motor racing
The first thing that strikes you about this book is its intriguing title. Paul Newman, who died in 2008, did indeed have an extraordinary life, but an ordinary man? Hardly. Anyone who ever saw him in anything – from Hud to Road To Perdition – surely silently cursed their own inadequacies as they marvelled at this preternaturally handsome, blue-eyed Apollo. He also happened to be a great actor.
Unusually for a man of his profession, ...
