The actor Burt Reynolds called “the personification of cool”
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, Burt Reynolds was the number one movie star in Hollywood. During this period, he enjoyed a six-year run of moneymakers, including Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run, that confirmed his status as the most reliably cool leading man in the business.
Before he reached this lofty status, though, Reynolds had worked steadily throughout the ’60s and early ’70s in the shadow of someone he believed to be far, far cooler than him. In fact, Reynolds held a candle for this star’s wife, who took him under her wing in the early days of his career. Despite this potential awkwardness, though, the two men became close friends and confidantes, mostly because Reynolds just couldn’t get over how damn cool the guy was.
In the nascent days of his career, Reynolds won a scholarship to the High Park Playhouse in New York City, which is where he first met the gorgeous leading lady in a play being staged there. She was Joanne Woodward, and Reynolds confessed, “I mean, I was in love”. The young star even believed he had a chance of landing a date with her, until she said, “I want you to meet my boyfriend.”
Reynolds wasn’t deterred by Woodward being spoken for, though, resolving simply to “blow him right out.” Instead, he was introduced to Paul Newman, whom he immediately dubbed “the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.” To make matters worse, Newman was instantly likeable and fun to be around, so Reynolds was forced to admit, “I didn’t know which one of them I liked the most.”
Reynolds and Newman soon became fast friends, and over the years, his admiration and fondness for the Cool Hand Luke star grew and grew. “Paul Newman, he was the real deal,” Reynolds told Deadline, “and I liked him enormously. He was a great deal like Johnny Carson in the sense that he was very, very private. He was a terrific driver, as good as anybody out there.”
Over the years, Reynolds came to view Newman as “the personification of cool”, and, even though they sometimes vied for the same parts, it was Newman who kept him going when he went through dark periods. “Paul Newman once told me, whatever you do, don’t let the bastards make you hang it up,” he poignantly recalled. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, and somebody’s going to hand you a script one day, and you’re going to kick the shit out of it.”
Indeed, Newman was speaking from experience in this regard. Long past his ’60s heyday, he hung in there for movies like The Verdict in ’82, The Colour of Money in ’86, and Road to Perdition in 2002, one of which finally landed him a ‘Best Actor’ Oscar, while the other two secured nominations.
Newman knew there was no expiry date on talent, and an ageing star could still deliver the goods with the correct material. “I loved him for that, and he’s right,” Reynolds mused. In some ways, perhaps Newman’s support can be credited for Reynolds’ comeback role in Boogie Nights, even if Reynolds himself has largely disowned that Oscar-nominated performance.
What was it about Newman that was so irrepressibly cool, though? Well, he was very much the definition of the kind of man every other man wanted to be, and every woman wanted to be with. He was effortlessly charming on-screen and in real life, with a classic mix of rebel spirit and self-deprecating humour that ensured he never came across as arrogant. Audiences and peers alike couldn’t help but be drawn to the man because of his magnetism, and when that was coupled with a kind heart, it became a potent combination.
