Where to Start
- The Hustler (1961): Newman plays Eddie Felson, a gifted pool hustler whose self-destructive bravado leads him to challenge Minnesota Fats. Robert Rossen directs, with Jackie Gleason and Piper Laurie alongside Newman.
- Cool Hand Luke (1967): As Luke Jackson, Newman defies the rules of a Florida prison farm and its established hierarchy. CUEvio's rating: 8.1/10, and our review names it our favorite Paul Newman movie.
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): Newman plays Butch Cassidy alongside Robert Redford in George Roy Hill's story of two outlaws fleeing a posse toward South America. The action begins in 1890s Wyoming as the West becomes increasingly civilized.
- The Sting (1973): Newman plays Henry Gondorff in another George Roy Hill film featuring Robert Redford, this time about con men seeking revenge through an elaborate swindle. Its TMDB audience score is 8/10.
- The Verdict (1982): Newman plays Frank Galvin, a struggling lawyer reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing who takes on a medical malpractice suit. Sidney Lumet directs, with Charlotte Rampling and Jack Warden in the cast.
- Cars (2006): Newman voices Doc Hudson in John Lasseter's animated adventure about rookie race car Lightning McQueen's unexpected stop in Radiator Springs. CUEvio's rating: 8.3/10.
1954 to 1969: Boxers, Outsiders and Westerns
The chronological route begins with Newman as Basil in The Silver Chalice (1954), a historical drama about an artisan commissioned to craft a silver chalice to hold Christ's cup. In Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), he plays Rocky Graziano as the boxer rises from juvenile delinquency to world champion.
The 1958 films offer several contrasting directions. Newman plays Brick Pollitt, an alcoholic former football player, in Richard Brooks's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives. As Ben Quick in Martin Ritt's The Long, Hot Summer, he enters a Mississippi town under accusations of barn burning and ingratiates himself with its richest family.
Ritt's later films extend that focus on men in conflict with those around them. Newman plays the ruthless Hud Bannon in Hud (1963). In Hombre (1967), his John Russell faces prejudice from fellow stagecoach passengers before becoming their hope for survival against outlaws.
For a change of setting, Harper (1966) casts Newman as Lew Harper, a cynical private investigator searching for a missing husband. Winning (1969) puts him on the race circuit as Frank Capua, whose Indianapolis 500 ambitions threaten his family relationships.
1970 to 2006: Directing, Returning Characters and Later Roles
Newman's acting filmography also includes films he directed. In Sometimes a Great Notion (1971), he plays Hank Stamper, part of an Oregon logging family that keeps working during a strike. He later directs and plays construction worker Harry Keach in Harry & Son (1984), centered on strained family relationships.
Returning characters create useful viewing pairs within the chronology. Newman reprises Lew Harper in The Drowning Pool (1975), investigating blackmail in Louisiana. As Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (1986), he takes on a talented young pool player as a pupil, shifting the earlier character into a teaching role.
The later films move between family tensions, business schemes and crime. Newman plays Walter Bridge in Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), opposite Joanne Woodward, in a family divided by conservative and progressive values. As Sully Sullivan in Nobody's Fool (1994), he reconnects with an estranged son while juggling a workers' compensation suit.
In Sam Mendes's Road to Perdition (2002), Newman plays crime boss John Rooney. The story follows Rooney's hit man Mike Sullivan, who goes on the run after his son witnesses a killing.
How This List Is Built
This is Paul Newman's acting filmography, including credited acting roles in films. It excludes documentaries, appearances as himself, archive footage, uncredited roles, TV movies, and upcoming and undated titles.
Three titles are individually excluded: Silent Movie (1976), because the appearance is a cameo; Mater and the Ghostlight (2006), because it is a short film; and Cars 3 (2017), because it uses an archive voice recording. The list follows release order, oldest first, rather than ranking films by CUEvio's ratings or TMDB audience scores.
FAQ
Which Paul Newman movie should I watch first?
Start with Cool Hand Luke, starring Newman as Luke Jackson. Our review calls it our favorite Paul Newman movie, and we rate it 8.1/10.
Which Paul Newman movies feature Robert Redford?
Both Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with Newman as Butch Cassidy, and The Sting, with Newman as Henry Gondorff, feature Redford. George Roy Hill directs both.
What movie won Paul Newman his Best Actor Oscar?
Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Color of Money (1986), directed by Martin Scorsese. He plays Eddie Felson.
Who does Paul Newman play in Cars?
Newman voices Doc Hudson in Cars (2006). It is the final film in this release-ordered list.
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