This really is something I didn't want to write, a tribute to one of my all time favorites, Paul Newman. You can go and read a much better tribute anywhere, and I encourage you to do so. But here's a story that you won't read among them.
I was in New York working on something for NBC, and I was actually talking with an extra, who was waitress at a bar on the upper east side (it could have been the village, but I'm pretty sure she said upper east side, I have the name of the place written down somehwere, I need to find it)
So this turns out, this was a place where Paul Newman was a regular when he would stop in New York. He'd show up, sometimes alone or with a buddy, and they'd sit and just talk to the entire place normally while he was having a rolling rock or a budweiser. She said that the whole room would just flock to him and his stories. All the waitresses really loved him, and when his wife Joanne Woodward would accompany him, she'd pretty much tell these 20 year old waitresses, "back off, this is my guy" I think that respect is what kept that marriage going for 50 years.
But the best part of this story, and this actually had been confirmed again since I learned this. When Paul Newman would stop in, it would always bother him to see someone sitting and eating alone. When he'd see someone having lunch alone, without fail, he'd ask to join them. So sometimes Paul would even be out with family, he'd still ask if they could all join the diner who was eating alone. When their meal was done, Paul would always pick up the tab.
I don't even need to mention his incredible film career or his philanthropy. You can read all that in the New York Times or People magazine (though I will go on record and say THE VERDICT was one of the most incredible acting performances I have ever seen, to me, that's as good as it gets), all I wanted to share, is here's a guy, who would go out, enjoy life, and include everyone around him. The world became a whole lot less talented without him around.
Here's to you Cool Hand Luke.
