"Cool Hand Luke" | Paul Newman Academy Award® Nomination Plaque

Upon hearing about the project from director Stuart Rosenberg, Newman quickly asked to play the leading role of petty criminal Luke Jackson. In order to develop his character, he travelled to West Virginia, where he studied local accents and surveyed people's gestures and mannerisms. This was Newman's fourth Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category, however, he ultimately lost to Rod Steiger, who delivered a thrilling performance in In the Heat of the Night.