Paul Newman voted greatest actor

Newman: Hollywood star since the 1950s

LONDON, England -- The cool hand himself, Paul Newman, has been voted the greatest movie actor of all time, according to a survey of film experts.

The man with the most famous blue eyes in Hollywood topped the list, which was compiled by a group of experts for this week's edition of the British magazine, Radio Times.

Taking into account such criteria as box office success, Oscar nominations, acting range and marriage appeal, Newman topped the list beating the likes of James Stewart, Marlon Brando and Cary Grant.

Newman, whose film credits include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Hustler, was nominated for the best actor Oscar seven times during his career, winning it in 1986 for The Colour of Money.

The Experts' Top 10  1. Paul Newman  2. Tom Hanks  3. James Stewart  4. Harrison Ford  5. Marlon Brando  6. Cary Grant  7. Robert Redford  8. Sean Connery  9. Tom Cruise  10. Gary Cooper     QUICK VOTE Do you agree with the film experts -- or the public? Who is your best actor? Paul Newman Tom Hanks James Stewart Harrison Ford Sean Connery View Results

But a poll among the readers of Radio Times disagreed with the experts, putting Scottish legend Sir Sean Connery at the top of the list.

The best-loved Bond actor only managed to make it to eighth in the experts' league table.

Tom Hanks, who is to star alongside Newman in British director Sam Mendes's next offering, The Road to Perdition, came second in the list.

Newman's first film was The Silver Chalice in 1954. He felt his performance was so bad he took out a full page advert in a trade magazine to apologise to moviegoers.

Two years later his second film, Somebody Up There Likes Me, in which he portrayed boxer Rocky Graziano, drew rave reviews from the critics.

He went on to become a huge star in the 1960s, starring in classics such as The Hustler in 1961 and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969.

Nominated seven times for a best actor Oscar, he won the honour for his performance in The Colour of Money in 1986.

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American Movie Classics

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