They don't make 'em like Paul Newman anymore.
That's why Hollywood's not hesitating to shower praise on the Oscar-winning actor/pioneering philanthropist/American arts legend, who died late Friday at the age of 83. Below, a round-up of what Newman's contemporaries and admirers are saying:
"[I] loved that man with all my heart. He was goodness and kindness and pure integrity. I know he loved his family, his wife, the world and mankind. He was purity of heart. Working with him was such a joy. Knowing him, being his friend, was as golden as the sunset and a privilege I'll never forget. I thank God and feel so honored for that privilege. May he be in God's embrace forever." -- statement to reporters, 9/27/08.
"There is a point where feelings go beyond words. I have lost a real friend. My life -- and this country -- is better for his being in it." -- statement to reporters, 9/27/08.
"It's a great loss, in so many ways. The history of movies without Paul Newman? It's unthinkable. His presence, his beauty, his physical eloquence, the emotional complexity he could conjure up and transmit through his acting in so many movies -- where would we be without him? 'In From the Terrace' or 'The Hustler' or 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' or 'The Verdict' or 'Nobody's Fool,' to name just a few pictures that come to mind, he's more than just iconic. In those movies and in many, many others, he created characters that are lasting and durable."
"His powerful eloquence, his consummate sense of craft, so consummate that you didn't see any sense of effort up there on the screen, set a new standard. My own experience working with him on 'The Color of Money' was a joy, and my memories of our time together are precious. But in addition to being a great actor, one of the greatest really, he was also such a fine, caring man. I will miss him greatly." -- statement to reporters, 9/27/08.