He reunited with Newman in the 1973 caper film The Sting receiving his only nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He continued his leading man status starring in the western film Jeremiah Johnson, the political drama The Candidate (both 1972), the romantic dramas The Way We Were (1973), and The Great Gatsby (1974), and the dramas Three Days of the Condor, and The Great Waldo Pepper (both 1975).
He reunited with Newman in the 1973 heist movie The Sting, earning his sole Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He maintained his leading role status by starring in the western film Jeremiah Johnson, the political drama The Candidate (both 1972), the romantic dramas The Way We Were and The Great Gatsby (both 1973), and the dramas Three Days of the Condor and The Great Waldo Pepper (both 1975).