In Pixar’s Cars, Paul Newman provides the voice of the retired racer Doc Hudson.
Doc Hudson is the town doctor in Radiator Springs, but he was once the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, a champion who won three Piston Cups. Newman’s warm, restrained performance helps reveal Doc as a character carrying disappointment and painful memories from his racing career.
The casting was especially notable because Newman was both an acclaimed actor and a former race-car driver and motorsport enthusiast. His connection to racing gave the character extra resonance, even though Doc Hudson is an animated car rather than a human driver.
Doc’s history is gradually explained after Lightning McQueen arrives in Radiator Springs. The film shows that he was forced out of racing after a crash and became bitter when the racing world moved on. Newman reprised the role for later Cars-related material before his death in 2008.