Apparently, Paul Newman wasn’t Donn Pearce’s actual pick to fit the character of Luke Jackson. Most casting crews would instantly pick the most good-looking actors but ironically, Pearce found that his looks opposed who Cool Hand Luke really was.
According to Pearce, the lead role should have been given to a more rugged and brawny man, instead of someone as charming as Newman. Pearce probably thought Newman’s good looks were diverging too far from the actual character and his story. It was even reported that Pearce said Newman “wouldn’t have lasted five minutes on the road.” Pretty harsh!
The Single Non-Fan
Paul Newman already had all the recognition and fame before the film came out as he starred in many other award-winning films prior to Cool Hand Luke. As such, he was no stranger when he visited West Virginia, with dozens of fans taking notice of his familiar charming face.
Though practically everyone knew who Paul Newman was, there was a particular lady who seemed to be completely oblivious of his fame. While he was with businessman Andy Houvouras, he accompanied Andy to pick up his daughter from school. Introduced to a nun in St. Joe High School, Newman was actually asked what his profession was. Nothing special, Sister!
A Unique Criminal Offense
As you already know, Cool Hand Luke gets himself put on a pedestal when he claims that he was imprisoned for cutting off the head of parking meters. Though extremely odd and extraordinary, this mischievous act actually helped him gain a unique bond with his inmates. According to Luke, it was done for the purpose of “setting an old score.”
His chain gang mates were so impressed with how unique Luke's crime was that they actually considered him to be an interesting addition to the gang. Because of how much the audience could relate to Luke and his hatred for parking meters, the film creates this personal connection with its viewers.
First Time Feature Film Director
You'd probably be surprised to find out that Stuart Rosenberg, the film's director, actually had ZERO experience prior to working on this film! Rosenberg, though eventually awarded numerous nominations, was completely inexperienced to direct such a huge film, but producers trusted the man anyway.
Rosenberg apparently only had experience filming a number of episodes for various television series, such as “The Twilight Zone” and “The Untouchables.” Luckily, the first-timer didn't make a mess out of the film and actually brought it to the top charts. This success, of course, brought him all that recognition and even blessed him with more opportunities to direct more feature films like “The Pope of Greenwich Village” and “Voyage of the Damned.”
Newman’s Own Foundation
As we mentioned earlier, Paul Newman was truly an honorable man. He was so remarkable even beyond his career, as he gave time to put up his own foundation, Newman's Own Foundation. He started it in 1982 with a single salad dressing and chose to donate all of the profits to charity. Now, the foundation produces everything from tomato sauces to salad dressings and even frozen pizzas! All the after-tax money from their sales goes straight to the foundation which is then circulated to charities around the world.
He truly had a heart for the less fortunate and that legacy still lives on today. The foundation even recently reached its own milestone of $530 million in donations! The man surely succeeded in his vision of helping thousands of charities and millions of people around the world.