Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy, I suppose it would be appropriate to adapt that for Paul Newman and say the ultimate measure of a man is the consistency of his character throughout his life.

I was sad to read that Newman passed away yesterday from cancer. While not much of a Newman film fan, I remain a fan of the man and the good works he did for others less fortunate. A lot of celebrities talk about doing good and giving back, this guy did it big and never made the cause himself.

“Paul was an unadorned man,” Mr. Hotchner said. “He was simple and direct and honest and off-center and mischievous, and romantic and very handsome. All of these qualities became the generating force behind him.” He added: “He was the same man in 2008 that he was in 1956 — unchanged, despite all the honors and the movie stardom, not a whisper of a change. And that’s something, the constancy of the man.”

[From Newman Remembered as a Good Neighbor and a Good Friend - NYTimes.com]