Forty years ago today, Paul Newman returned to one of his most famous roles alongside Tom Cruise—and finally earned the Oscar that had eluded him for decades.
Released October 17, 1986, Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money brought Newman back as pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson, 25 years after The Hustler. The performance earned Newman his only competitive Best Actor Oscar in March 1987. But according to the Academy Awards, he wasn’t there to collect it.
Next: 43 Years Ago Today, ’80s Classic That Made Tom Cruise a Star Is Still One of His Best
Paul Newman Finally Won—and Missed Oscar Night
Newman had already received an honorary Academy Award before his competitive victory. Yet when Hollywood finally recognized his performance in The Color of Money, the actor stayed home.
The Academy recalled Newman’s memorable explanation: “I’ve been there six times and lost. Maybe if I stay away, I’ll win.”
The gamble worked. After decades of nominations, Newman finally received the industry’s highest competitive acting honor for revisiting a character he had introduced a quarter-century earlier.
Next: 1976 Classic, Rejected as ‘Too Controversial,’ Ranked Among Greatest American Films
Tom Cruise Helped Bring Fast Eddie Back
Cruise played Vincent Lauria, a gifted young pool player whose confidence clashes with Eddie’s experience. Their relationship gave Scorsese’s film its central tension: an aging hustler confronting a younger version of his competitive instincts.
According to the American Film Institute, Newman initially hesitated to reprise Fast Eddie. But he eventually embraced the project, working with Scorsese and screenwriter Richard Price to develop a new story around the character.
Price later described how the filmmakers “hammered together a plot line” during a meeting with Newman.
The actors also trained with professional pool player Michael Sigel. Remarkably, Newman and Cruise performed every pool shot shown in the film except one, which Sigel executed himself.
Next: 40 Years Ago Today, a Disturbing Mystery Got One Star Before an All-Time-Great Ranking
The Film Became More Than an Oscar Comeback
The Color of Money earned four Academy Award nominations and approximately $52.2 million domestically, according to AFI.
Its stars also generated an unusual publicity contest. Life magazine produced two covers featuring the actors in opposite orientations, testing “who is the hottest” star. The Cruise-favored version reportedly outsold the Newman-favored edition by 55 percent to 45 percent.
Four decades later, The Color of Money holds an impressive 87% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 46 reviews, alongside a 74% audience score. The film also ranks No. 16 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best movies of 1986, offering another reason to revisit the Martin Scorsese drama that finally earned Paul Newman his competitive Best Actor Oscar.
For movie fans, the anniversary offers a reason to revisit both performances—and the surprising Oscar victory Newman didn’t attend.
Next: 1972 Crime Classic Still Holds a Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Related: 1969 Film, Starring Clint Eastwood, Ranked Among His Worst-Rated Westerns