Quote of the day by Hollywood star Paul Newman: ‘A man with no enemies is a man with no character’

Paul Leonard Newman, widely regarded as one of the last great movie stars of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on Hollywood and audiences worldwide. His career was studded with accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA, seven Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Primetime Emmy. He also earned the Silver Bear for Best Actor, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and nominations for two Grammys and a Tony. Beyond these, he was honoured with the Academy Honorary Award and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, cementing his legacy both on and off screen.

Newman once said, “A man with no enemies is a man with no character.” This quote speaks to the idea that standing by your beliefs and values will inevitably attract opposition. In life, it reminds us that being agreeable to everyone isn’t necessarily virtuous—true character is revealed when you make tough choices, take principled stands, and accept the consequences, even if it means creating friction along the way.

About Paul Newman

Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and raised in nearby Shaker Heights, Paul Newman’s passion for acting began early. At just 10, he performed in Saint George and the Dragon at the Cleveland Play House. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts in drama and economics from Kenyon College in 1949, toured with summer stock companies like the Belfry Players, studied at the Yale School of Drama, and honed his craft under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Newman’s Broadway debut came with William Inge’s Picnic in 1953, and his final performance was in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in 2003.




On screen, Newman became a Hollywood icon, winning the Academy Award for The Color of Money and earning multiple nominations for classics including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, and Road to Perdition. He starred in hits like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and voiced Doc Hudson in Cars.

Beyond acting, Newman was a champion racer and co-founded Newman's Own, donating millions to charity, while also establishing organisations like SeriousFun Children’s Network and Safe Water Network. He shared a lifelong partnership, both on and off screen, with actress Joanne Woodward.

His death

In June 2008, reports revealed that Paul Newman had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was receiving treatment at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre. Newman passed away at 83 at his Westport, Connecticut home on September 26, 2008, and was cremated privately.