If you have the good fortune to be one of the most charismatic, best-looking male stars in the history of the cinema, you could be forgiven a little amour propre. However, that situation could not be further from the truth in this fascinating memoir from the actor Paul Newman (subtitled The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man), essentially a posthumous autobiography assembled from fragments that Newman recorded with his closest friend, the screenwriter Stewart Stern. It’s a very frank oral history featuring both Newman, the star of such classic films as Hud and The Moving Target/Harper, along with friends and associates — and, of course, his long-time partner, the actress Joanne Woodward. What comes across strongly is the actor’s surprise that he had such a dedicated following, as he appears to doubt his own appeal – and this surprising self-examination comes about without any humble bragging on his part. What’s particularly notable is that Joanne Woodward seems to share this self-deprecating quality (she says: ‘I was always amazed that anybody could have liked me. How could they figure out what to like since I could not figure it out myself?’). In fact, this rather English quality of self-deprecation makes both actors seem particularly likeable, and as well as the personal aspects (such as Newman’s guilt over the drug-related death of his son – he does not consider himself a good parent), the book is frequently fascinating on the actor’s remarkable career – which included (as well as the films mentioned above) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict and the subtle, affecting films in which he directed his wife. It’s an unmissable read for fans of the actor.

Barry Forshaw

Paul Newman by Paul Newman is published by Century