Numerous individuals held Paul Newman in high regard, and their admiration was well-founded. In all honesty, Paul Newman stands as one of the finest actors in history, and fans were fortunate to have experienced his filmography. However, if you happened to witness his skills at playing pool, you might not have been as awed. He even played a professional pool player in the film, The Color of Money, alongside Tom Cruise.
Paul Newman himself once confided to Gene Shalit that a fan of his sports-oriented films, particularly The Hustler, had difficulty believing that his skillful handling of a cue was just for show.
Paul Newman Was Terrible At Pool
Paul Newman recollected how he had taken shots from a few racks at a Los Angeles disco, and then proceeded to approach the bar for a beer.
“I was shooting a couple off racks at a disco in Los Angeles, and I stepped up to the bar to have a beer,” Newman recalled. “This kid stepped up and said, ‘Mr Newman, I watched The Hustler four times, and I just watched you play pool in there, and it’s one of the biggest disappointments of my life!'”
Newman sensed that the young individual might be on the verge of tears, though fortunately, their emotional state didn’t escalate to that extent, sparing the star from a total display of his unfortunate abilities. In his role in The Hustler, Newman embodies a cunning character who strategically challenges a champion pool player.
The abilities of Newman’s character are genuinely impressive, generating gripping suspense within the thrilling film. Just like any skillfully crafted sports-centered movie, the seamless integration of the athletic action with compelling character development forms a canvas that grants us insights into both the sport itself and the main character.
Also read: “Luck recognized me”: Paul Newman Said Rival James Dean Could’ve Never Beaten His Starpower
Tom Cruise Learned Trick Shots For The Film
In the making of The Color of Money, Tom Cruise dedicated himself to mastering every intricate trick shot but a singular exception, as reported by UPI. According to director Martin Scorsese, Cruise’s potential to conquer a shot involving the cue ball leaping over others was conceivable, yet opting for this might have caused filming delays. As a result, the expertise of professional pool player Michael Sigel was enlisted to execute the challenging shot.
During a conversation with Russell Harty on Film 87, Paul Newman elaborated on how Cruise displayed an innate talent for the game of pool.
“Cruise was fantastic,” Newman said, “never had a pool cue in his hands and he was as good, if not better than I was, in five weeks.”
Moving gracefully through the billiards establishment, Vincent holds Fast Eddie’s renowned Balabushka cue in his grip. When questioned about the contents of the case he’s holding, a wide grin spreads across his face as he enthusiastically retorts, “Doom!” When taking on a role of this nature, it’s apt to acquire a repertoire of one’s own trick shots to substantiate such bold claims.
The Color of Money can be rented on Google Play.
Source: The Digital Flix
