Paul Newman tells of conflict with father
Hollywood heart-throb Paul Newman was a failure in his father’s eyes, the actor revealed today.
In an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, the 77-year-old renowned in the business for his piercing blue eyes and 44-year marriage to Joanne Woodward, disclosed how his father thought he was a "ne’er-do-well with good cause".
"He was erudite and cultured," he said. "I think he thought I didn’t show much promise in those days and I tend to agree with him."
The revelation was prompted by the recent release in the US of his new film Road to Perdition, a tale of the conflict between the moral person and the immoral world which touches on the father-son relationship.
After announcing his retirement two years ago, Newman was tempted back to the screen by British director Sam Mendes.
Notoriously tight-lipped with journalists, Newman concedes that he has always tried to hide his personal details in humour, leaving the interviewer to second-guess the truth.
"I tend to use humour as a very efficient and successful way to sidetrack giving out real information."
The star also revealed his scepticism of acting awards - he finds it hard to think of acting as a competitive profession - and that he uses racing, a well-known passion of his, to test his physical endurance once in a while.
