The actor Paul Newman and Robert Redford both agreed was the greatest: “The best we have”
Paul Newman and Robert Redford, celebrated for starring together in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* and *The Sting*, both singled out Marlon Brando as an exceptional actor. Their praise matters because it came independently, years apart, from two leading actors who were themselves regarded as major stars.
Newman called Brando “the best actor we have in the US” in 1963 and said he envied his natural gifts. In 1980, Redford said he admired Brando’s work, grouping him with James Cagney as an actor he looked to. The article also notes that Newman and Redford disliked being defined primarily as movie stars and saw themselves as actors.
- Newman called Brando the best US actor in 1963.
- Redford praised Brando’s work in 1980.
- Both stars admired Brando independently.
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Marlon Brando was an American actor whose performances helped shape modern screen acting. Paul Newman and Robert Redford were leading actors of a later generation, best known for appearing together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting.
Newman and Redford each spoke highly of Brando’s acting at different times. Their comments reflect the regard Brando held among fellow actors, as well as the distinction all three made between acting as a craft and fame as a movie star.