Movies - TV
Why Paul Newman Decided To Walk Away From Acting
By SANDY SCHAEFER
By the time Paul Newman had won his only Oscar for 1986’s "The Color of Money," auto racing and his non-profit food company, Newman’s Own, were more of a priority than acting. After not even attending the 1987 Oscars ceremony, the actor said in an interview, "I think at this stage of my life [...] there are not that many films to do and there are a lot of good cars to drive."
Newman’s love for racing started when he took on the role of a race driver that was determined to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1969’s “Winning.” He took on a lower-paying role just so that he could learn how to drive, and he went on to drive for the non-profit Sports Car Club and win the national title four times.
However, while Newman’s love for driving and general dislike for fame drove him away from Hollywood during his later years, age had inevitably become a factor. In an interview with Barbara Walters not long before his passing in 2008, he admitted, “I simply cannot remember lines, [...and] once your confidence goes, you're working at maybe 50 percent of your potential.”