Craig: 'Newman Taught Me To Love Acting'

The Quantum of Solace actor worked with Newman, who succumbed to his battle with cancer in September (08), in the 2002 movie Road to Perdition.

And Craig, 40, was struck by the veteran actor's professionalism on-set, which he insists he is still touched by to this day.

He tells USA Today, "The best thing I can say about Paul Newman was he worried about his craft and worried about what he was doing. He talked it through, and when he got it right it pleased him and when got it wrong it really (ticked) him off.

"I thought, 'You're in your 70s, this is the twilight of your career - other people would be sitting back and saying, 'I'll show up, say the lines and take the check.'

"But no, it absolutely meant as much to him then as it had always meant. I thought, 'God, if you're still getting a thrill out of your job, still getting that much out of your profession at that age, that can't be a bad thing."