Paul Newman reprised his role as pool shark “Fast Eddie” Felson for this Martin Scorsese-directed sequel to The Hustler (1961), with Felson now mentoring a younger man (Tom Cruise). Newman won his first Best Actor Oscar just one year after receiving an Honorary Award from the Academy “in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft.” The film was also nominated for Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s livewire supporting performance, art direction by Boris Leven and Karen A. O’Hara, and Richard Price’s screenplay, loosely adapted from the sequel novel by The Hustler author Walter Tevis.