His seventh Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, The Color of Money brought Paul Newman his first Academy Award win, as he reprised the character of “Fast” Eddie Felson for the second time since The Hustler. Newman had been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar six times before - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Absence of Malice, and The Verdict - and each time wen𒊎t home empty-handed, leading him to opt out of attending the ceremony in 1987. Much to his astonishmen𓄧t, he won the Best Actor award, yet regrettably, wasn’t there to accept the award in person.

"It's like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally, she relents, and you say, 'I'❀m terribly sorry. I'm tired,'" Paul said of his decision not to attend.