What is the best Paul Newman movie of all time?

From steely-eyed antiheroes to lovable rogues, con men, prisoners, lawyers, and hockey coaches, this run spans five decades of unforgettable leading roles. Which one earns your vote for his best?

1

Cool Hand Luke

Newman's defining 1967 role as Luke Jackson, a rebellious prisoner who refuses to break on a Southern chain gang.

1000pts

2

The Long, Hot Summer

Newman starred opposite future wife Joanne Woodward in this 1958 Faulkner-inspired Southern drama.

897pts

3

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Newman's iconic 1969 Western as the charming outlaw Butch, riding alongside Robert Redford's Sundance Kid.

754pts

4

The Color of Money

Newman won his only competitive Best Actor Oscar reprising Fast Eddie Felson in this 1986 Scorsese-directed sequel.

728pts

5

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Newman as Brick Pollitt in this 1958 adaptation of Tennessee Williams' drama of a fractured Southern family.

692pts

6

Sometimes a Great Notion

Newman directed and starred in this 1971 drama about a stubborn Oregon logging family.

673pts

7

The Verdict

Newman's Oscar-nominated 1982 turn as a washed-up, alcoholic lawyer fighting for one last case of redemption.

538pts

8

Sweet Bird of Youth

Newman's 1962 role as a drifting gigolo opposite Geraldine Page, adapted from another Tennessee Williams play.

456pts

9

The Towering Inferno

Newman played the architect of a burning skyscraper in this star-studded 1974 disaster blockbuster.

455pts

10

Slap Shot

Newman's self-professed favorite role, playing minor-league hockey player-coach Reggie Dunlop in this 1977 comedy.

455pts

11

Harper

Newman's 1966 debut as wisecracking private detective Lew Harper, based on Ross Macdonald's novels.

455pts

12

Road to Perdition

Newman played mob boss John Rooney in this 2002 crime drama alongside Tom Hanks.

455pts

13

The Hustler

Newman's 1961 breakout as pool shark Fast Eddie Felson, chasing a title match against Minnesota Fats.

455pts

14

From the Terrace

Newman starred opposite Joanne Woodward in this 1960 drama of ambition and marriage inside corporate America.

359pts

15

Absence of Malice

Newman's 1981 role as a businessman wrongly smeared by a newspaper leak, opposite Sally Field.

359pts

16

Hud

Newman's 1963 turn as Hud Bannon, an amoral, magnetic rancher's son clashing with his principled father.

359pts

17

The Sting

Newman reunited with Robert Redford for this 1973 Best Picture-winning con-artist caper set in Depression-era Chicago.

245pts

18

The Drowning Pool

Newman returned as private eye Lew Harper in this 1975 mystery sequel set in Louisiana.

245pts

19

Exodus

Newman played Ari Ben Canaan in this sweeping 1960 epic about the founding of Israel.

245pts

20

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Newman's 1956 breakout as real-life boxer Rocky Graziano, rising from a troubled youth to the middleweight title.

108pts