Paul Newman, a major figure in American cinema who created indelible characters for more than half a century, died Friday at his home near Westport, Conn., after a lengthy battle with cancer, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was 83.

Graced with physical beauty, striking blue eyes and a sinewy masculinity, Newman proved time and again that he was more than just a handsome face in films that became cultural touchstones, films such as The Hustler (1962), Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).