Why was Paul Newman’s performance in The Hustler important to his screen image?

Paul Newman’s performance as "Fast" Eddie Felson in the 1961 film The Hustler was pivotal because it arguably defined his screen persona.1

This role marked the beginning of a series of 1960s films in which Newman moved away from traditional leading-man roles to portray antiheroic protagonists. By choosing these complex, flawed characters, Newman solidified his enduring image as an ingratiating iconoclast, a reputation he further cemented through subsequent performances in films such as Hud and Cool Hand Luke.1