Paul Newman
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Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
, a BAFTA Award, three
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
, a
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie and ...
, a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
, a Silver Bear, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and the
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Governors Awards ceremonies for an individual's "outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes". Prior to 2009 and i ...
. Born in
Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest ...
, a suburb of
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
, Newman showed an interest in theater as a child and at age 10 performed in a
stage production Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
of '' Saint George and the Dragon'' at the Cleveland Play House. He received his
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
and
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...
from
Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...
in 1949. After touring with several summer stock companies including the Belfry Players, Newman attended the Yale School of Drama for a year before studying at the
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...
under
Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 193 ...
. His first starring Broadway role was in William Inge's '' Picnic'', and he starred in smaller roles for a few more films before receiving widespread attention and acclaim for his performances in '' Somebody Up There Likes Me'' (1956) and '' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (1958). Newman's major film roles include '' The Hustler'' (1961), '' Hud'' (1963), '' Harper'' (1966), '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), '' The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean'' (1972), '' The Sting'' (1973), ''
The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...
'' (1974), ''
Slap Shot ''Slap Shot'' is a 1977 American sports film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league ice hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declin ...
'' (1977), '' Fort Apache, The Bronx'' (1981), and as the voice of Doc Hudson in '' Cars'' (2006) as his final acting non-documentary role, with his archival voice recordings being used again in '' Cars 3'' (2017), nine years after his death. A ten-time Oscar nominee, Newman was awarded an
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The a ...
for '' The Color of Money'' (1986). Newman won several national championships as a driver in Sports Car Club of America road racing, and his race teams won several championships in open-wheel IndyCar racing. He was a co-founder of Newman's Own, a food company from which he donated all post-tax profits and royalties to charity. As of May 2021, these donations have totaled over US$570 million. In 1988, Newman founded the
SeriousFun Children's Network SeriousFun Children's Network is a global community of 30 camps and programs for seriously ill children. All camps and programs offer free recreational experiences to children with serious illnesses and their family members. The first SeriousFu ...
, a global family of summer camps and programs for children with a serious illness which has served 1.3 million children and family members since its inception. In 2006, Newman also co-founded
Safe Water Network Safe Water Network is a nonprofit organization co-founded in 2006 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman along with other civic and business leaders. The organization was founded to help address the evidence gap in off-grid water systems. Today ...
with John Whitehead, former chairman of Goldman Sachs, and Josh Weston, former chairman of ADP, to improve access to safe water to underserved communities around the world. Newman was married twice and fathered six children. He was the husband of Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward.


Early life

Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in
Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th largest ...
, and raised in nearby Shaker Heights, the second son of Theresa Garth ( ''née'' Fetzer, Fetzko, or Fetsko; sk, Terézia Fecková; 1894–1982) and Arthur Sigmund Newman Sr. (1893–1950), who ran a sporting goods store. His father was
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, the son of Simon Newman and Hannah Cohn, Hungarian Jewish and Polish Jewish emigrants, from
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
and
Congress Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It ...
, respectively. Paul's mother was a practitioner of
Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...
. She was born to a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
family in Peticse, Zemplén county in the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
,
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with t ...
(present-day
Ptičie Ptičie is a village and municipality in Humenné District in the Prešov Region of north-east Slovakia. History In history, historical records the village was first mentioned in 1451. Geography The municipality lies at an altitude of 226 metres ...
,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
). Newman followed no religion as an adult, but called himself a Jew, "because it's more of a challenge."Skow, John
"Verdict on a Superstar"
. ''Time''. December 6, 1982.
Newman's mother worked in his father's store, while raising Paul and his elder brother, Arthur.Paul Newman biography
, Tiscali.co.uk.com; accessed October 21, 2015.
Newman showed an early interest in the theater; his first role was at the age of seven, playing the court jester in a school production of ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is de ...
''. At age 10, Newman performed at the Cleveland Play House in a production of '' Saint George and the Dragon'', and was a notable actor and alumnus of their Curtain Pullers children's theater program. Graduating from
Shaker Heights High School Shaker Heights High School is a public high school located in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The high school is the only public high school in the Shaker Heights City School District, which serves Shaker Heights and a small part of ...
in 1943, he briefly attended
Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subsequ ...
in Athens, Ohio, where he was initiated into the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Newman served in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
in the Pacific theater. Initially, he enrolled in the Navy V-12 pilot training program at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, but was dropped when his colorblindness was discovered. Boot camp followed, with training as a radioman and rear gunner. Qualifying in
torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
s in 1944, Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to
Barbers Point, Hawaii A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
. He was subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100, responsible primarily for training replacement combat pilots and aircrewmen, with special emphasis on carrier landings. He later flew as a turret gunner in an
Avenger Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
torpedo bomber. As a radioman-gunner, his unit was assigned to the aircraft carrier along with other replacements shortly before the
Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...
in the spring of 1945. The pilot of his aircraft had an earache and was grounded as was his crew, including Newman. The rest of their squadron flew to the ''Bunker Hill''. Days later, a
kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to ...
attack on the vessel killed several hundred crewmen and airmen, including other members of his unit. After the war, Newman completed his
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
and
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...
at
Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...
in Gambier, Ohio in 1949. Shortly after earning his degree, he joined several summer stock companies, most notably the Belfry Players in
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and the Woodstock Players in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
. He toured with them for three months and developed his talents as a part of Woodstock Players. He later attended the Yale School of Drama for one year, before moving to New York City to study under
Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 193 ...
at the
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...
. Oscar Levant wrote that Newman initially was hesitant to leave New York for Hollywood, and that Newman had said, "Too close to the cake. Also, no place to study."


Career

Newman arrived in New York City in 1951 with his first wife, Jackie Witte, taking up residence in the St. George section of
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
. He made his
Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...
debut in the original production of William Inge's '' Picnic'' with Kim Stanley in 1953. While working on the production, he met Joanne Woodward, an understudy. The two married in 1958. He also appeared in the original Broadway production of '' The Desperate Hours'' in 1955. In 1959, he was in the original Broadway production of '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' with
Geraldine Page Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Acad ...
and three years later starred with Page in the film version. During this time Newman started acting in television. His first credited role was in a 1952 episode of '' Tales of Tomorrow'' entitled "Ice from Space". In the mid-1950s, he appeared twice on CBS's ''Appointment with Adventure''
anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...
. In February 1954, Newman appeared in a screen test with
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
, directed by Gjon Mili, for '' East of Eden'' (1955). Newman was tested for the role of Aron Trask, Dean for the role of Aron's twin brother Cal. Dean won his part, but Newman lost out to Richard Davalos. That same year, as a last-minute replacement for Dean, he co-starred with Eva Marie Saint and Frank Sinatra in a live, color television broadcast of ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 Metatheatre, metatheatrical Three act structure, three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Cor ...
'' which was a musical adaptation of
Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays '' Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...
's stage play. After Dean's death, Newman replaced Dean in the role of a boxer in a television adaptation of Hemingway's story "The Battler", written by A. E. Hotchner, that was broadcast live on October 18, 1955. That performance led to his breakthrough role as Rocky Graziano in the film ''Somebody Up There Likes Me'' in 1956. The Dean connection had additional resonance. Newman was cast as Billy the Kid in '' The Left Handed Gun'' which was a role originally earmarked for Dean. Additionally, Dean was originally cast to play the role of Rocky Graziano in '' Somebody Up There Likes Me''; however, with his death, Newman got the role. Newman's first film for Hollywood was ''
The Silver Chalice ''The Silver Chalice'' is a 1952 English language historical novel by Thomas B. Costain. It is the fictional story of the making of a silver chalice to hold the Holy Grail (itself here conflated with the Holy Chalice) and includes 1st century b ...
'' (1954), co-starring Italian actress
Pier Angeli Pier Angeli (19 June 193210 September 1971), also credited under her real name, Anna Maria Pierangeli, was an Italian-born television and film actress who starred in American, British and European films throughout her career. Her American motio ...
. The film was a box-office failure, and the actor would later acknowledge his disdain for it. In 1956, Newman garnered much attention and acclaim for the role of Rocky Graziano in '' Somebody Up There Likes Me'', and the film also reunited him with
Pier Angeli Pier Angeli (19 June 193210 September 1971), also credited under her real name, Anna Maria Pierangeli, was an Italian-born television and film actress who starred in American, British and European films throughout her career. Her American motio ...
; their last film together. In 1958, he starred in '' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (1958), opposite
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
. The film was a box-office smash, and Newman garnered his first Academy Award nomination. Also in 1958, Newman starred in '' The Long, Hot Summer'' with his future wife Joanne Woodward, with whom he reconnected on the set in 1957 (they had first met in 1953). He won Best Actor at the
1958 Cannes Film Festival The 11th Cannes Film Festival was held from 2 to 18 May 1958. The Palme d'Or went to the '' Letyat zhuravli'' by Mikhail Kalatozov. Jury The following people were appointed as the Jury of the 1958 competition: Feature films * Marcel Achard (F ...
for this film. He and Woodward also appeared on screen earlier in 1958 in the Playhouse 90 television play '' The 80 Yard Run''. The couple would go on to make a total of 16 films together.


Major films

Newman starred in '' The Young Philadelphians'' (1959), a drama film which co-starred
Barbara Rush Barbara Rush (born January 4, 1927) is an American actress. In 1954, Rush won the Golden Globe Award as most promising female newcomer for her role in the 1953 American science-fiction film ''It Came from Outer Space''.Warren 1982, pp. 151–6 ...
,
Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; the ...
and Alexis Smith, and was directed by Vincent Sherman. He followed up with leads in ''
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Exo ...
'' (1960), '' From the Terrace'', (1960), '' The Hustler'' (1961), '' Hud'' (1963), '' Torn Curtain'' (1966), '' Harper'' (1966), ''
Hombre Hombre, the Spanish word for " man" and sometimes used informally in English, may refer to: * ''Hombre'' (novel), a 1961 novel by Elmore Leonard * ''Hombre'' (film), a 1967 motion picture based on the novel starring Paul Newman, directed by Mart ...
'' (1967), '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), ''
The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...
'' (1974), ''
Slap Shot ''Slap Shot'' is a 1977 American sports film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league ice hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declin ...
'' (1977), '' Absence of Malice'' (1981), '' The Verdict'' (1982), and '' Nobody's Fool'' (1994). He teamed up with fellow actor Robert Redford and director George Roy Hill for '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969) and '' The Sting'' (1973). After his marriage to Woodward they appeared together in '' The Long, Hot Summer'' (1958), '' Rally Round the Flag, Boys!'', (1958), '' From the Terrace'' (1960), '' Paris Blues'' (1961), '' A New Kind of Love'' (1963), '' Winning'' (1969), ''
WUSA WUSA or wusa may refer to: * Women's United Soccer Association (defunct), the world's first women's professional association football league, based in the United States * ''WUSA'' (film), a 1970 drama film * WUSA (TV), a television station (chann ...
'' (1970), playing Harper for a second time in ''
The Drowning Pool ''The Drowning Pool'' is a 1950 mystery novel by American writer Ross Macdonald, his second book in the series revolving around the cases of private detective Lew Archer. Plot summary Archer is hired by a woman to investigate a libellous lett ...
'' (1975), ''
Harry & Son ''Harry & Son'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by Paul Newman, who also stars. The screenplay by Newman and Ronald Buck focuses on the relationship between a blue-collar worker and his son (Robby Benson), who fails at various odd jobs whi ...
'' (1984), and '' Mr. and Mrs. Bridge'' (1990). They starred in the HBO miniseries '' Empire Falls'', but did not share any scenes. In addition to starring in and directing ''Harry & Son'', Newman directed four feature films starring Woodward. They were '' Rachel, Rachel'' (1968), based on Margaret Laurence's ''A Jest of God''; the screen version of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play '' The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'' (1972); the television screen version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play '' The Shadow Box'' (1980); and a screen version of Tennessee Williams' '' The Glass Menagerie'' (1987). Twenty-five years after ''The Hustler'', Newman reprised his role of "Fast Eddie" Felson in the Martin Scorsese–directed film '' The Color of Money'' (1986), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1994, Newman played alongside Tim Robbins as the character Sidney J. Mussburger in the
Coen brothers Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
' comedy '' The Hudsucker Proxy''. In mid-1987, Newman sued
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
for allegedly failing to properly account for revenues from video distribution of four of his films made for Universal, and Universal owed him at least $1 million participation for the home video versions of '' The Sting'', ''
Slap Shot ''Slap Shot'' is a 1977 American sports film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league ice hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declin ...
'', '' Winning'' and '' Sometimes a Great Notion''. The complaint claimed that Universal accounted for the cassette revenues in a way that improperly decreased amounts due to Newman, with the actor wanting a full accounting along with $2 million in damages.


21st-century roles

In 2003, Newman appeared in a Broadway revival of Wilder's ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 Metatheatre, metatheatrical Three act structure, three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Cor ...
'', receiving a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nomination for his performance. PBS and the cable network
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...
aired a taping of the production, and Newman was nominated for an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie. Newman's last live action movie appearance was as a conflicted mob boss in the 2002 film '' Road to Perdition'' opposite
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His last live action appearance overall, although he continued to provide voice work for films, was in 2005 in the HBO mini-series '' Empire Falls'' (based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by
Richard Russo Richard Russo (July 15, 1949) is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher. Early life and education Russo was born in Johnstown, New York, and raised in nearby Gloversville. He earned a bachelor's degree, a Master of ...
) in which he played the dissolute father of the protagonist, Miles Roby, and for which he won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. In keeping with his strong interest in car racing, he provided the voice of Doc Hudson, a retired anthropomorphic race car, in Pixar's '' Cars'' (2006). This was his final role in a major feature film as well as his only animated film role. Almost nine years after his death, he appeared as Doc in the third film, '' Cars 3'' (2017), through the use of archive recordings, for which he received billing. Newman retired from acting in May 2007, saying: "You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me." He came out of retirement to record narration for the 2007 documentary ''
Dale Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia * The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada * Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *D ...
'', about the life of
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and h ...
driver
Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...
, and for the 2008 documentary ''
The Meerkats ''The Meerkats'', also known as ''Meerkats: The Movie'', is a feature-length 2008 British wildlife fiction film which anthropomorphises the daily struggles of a clan of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert. It was produced by BBC Films, and filmed by ...
'', which is his final film role overall.


Philanthropy

With writer A. E. Hotchner, Newman founded Newman's Own, a line of food products, in 1982. The brand started with salad dressing and has expanded to include pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, salsa, and wine, among other things. Newman established a policy that all proceeds, after taxes, would be donated to charity. He co-wrote a
memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobio ...
about the subject with Hotchner, ''Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good''. Among other awards, Newman's Own co-sponsors the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, a $25,000 reward designed to recognize those who protect the First Amendment as it applies to the written word. One beneficiary of his philanthropy is the
Hole in the Wall Gang Camp The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, based in Ashford, Connecticut, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, residential summer camp, and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditi ...
, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children located in Ashford, Connecticut, which Newman co-founded in 1988. It is named after the gang in his film ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), and the real-life, historic Hole-in-the-Wall outlaw hangout in the mountains of northern
Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...
. Newman's college fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, adopted his Connecticut Hole in the Wall camp as their "national philanthropy" in 1995. The original camp has expanded to become several Hole in the Wall Camps in the U.S., Ireland, France, and Israel. In 1983, Newman became a major donor for The Mirror Theater Ltd, alongside Dustin Hoffman and
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Al Pacino, numerous accolades: including an Aca ...
, matching a grant from
Laurence Rockefeller Laurance Spelman Rockefeller (May 26, 1910 – July 11, 2004) was an American businessman, financier, philanthropist, and conservationist. Rockefeller was the third son and fourth child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. As ...
. Newman was inspired to invest by his connection with
Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 193 ...
, as Lee's then daughter-in-law Sabra Jones was the founder and producing artistic director of The Mirror. Paul Newman remained a friend of the company until his death and discussed at numerous times possible productions in which he could star with his wife, Joanne Woodward. In June 1999, Newman donated $250,000 to Catholic Relief Services to aid refugees in
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
. On June 1, 2007,
Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...
announced that Newman had donated $10 million to the school to establish a scholarship fund as part of the college's $230 million fund-raising campaign. Newman and Woodward were honorary co-chairs of a previous campaign. Newman was one of the founders of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP). Newman was named the Most Generous Celebrity of 2008 by Givingback.org. He contributed $20,857,000 for the year of 2008 to the Newman's Own Foundation, which distributes funds to a variety of charities. Upon Newman's death, the Italian newspaper (a "semi-official" paper of the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
) ''
L'Osservatore Romano ''L'Osservatore Romano'' (, 'The Roman Observer') is the daily newspaper of Vatican City State which reports on the activities of the Holy See and events taking place in the Catholic Church and the world. It is owned by the Holy See but is not ...
'' published a notice lauding Newman's philanthropy. It also commented that "Newman was a generous heart, an actor of a dignity and style rare in Hollywood quarters." Newman was responsible for preserving lands around Westport, Connecticut. He lobbied the state's governor for funds for the 2011 Aspetuck Land Trust in Easton. In 2011, Paul Newman's estate gifted land to Westport to be managed by the
Aspetuck Land Trust The Aspetuck Land Trust is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967 that seeks to preserves open spaces in the towns of Westport, Fairfield, Weston and Easton in Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southweste ...
.


Political activism

Newman was a lifelong Democrat, although he endorsed and voted for Independent candidate
John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member o ...
in 1980, who was a liberal Republican, instead of the incumbent Democratic president,
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
. For Newman's support of
Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...
in
1968 The year was highlighted by Protests of 1968, protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechos ...
(and effective use of television commercials in California) and his opposition to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, Newman was placed nineteenth on
Richard Nixon's enemies list "Nixon's Enemies List" is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon's major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell (assistant to Colson, special counsel to ...
, which Newman claimed was his greatest accomplishment. In 1964, he and his wife Joanne Woodward supported Lyndon B. Johnson for president. During the 1968 general election, Newman supported Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey and appeared in a pre-election night telethon for him. He was also described as a "vocal supporter" of gay rights and same-sex marriage. Newman linked with the so-called
Malibu Mafia The "Malibu Mafia" was an informal group of wealthy American Jewish men who donated money to liberal and progressive causes and politicians during 1960s–1990s. Associated with the beach city of Malibu, California, the group included economist S ...
to promote progressive issues in politics. This was a group of wealthy men in the
Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino ...
area who met to discuss politics. Backed by them, Newman and his wife went to Washington in 1976 to speak in favor of breaking up Big Oil into separate components. Newman supported their 1980s effort to establish a bilateral Nuclear Freeze to stop the proliferation of
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s in the US and the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. He said he would stand up for
Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesot ...
in the 1984 presidential election as long as there was cold Budweiser and Nuclear Freeze involved. In January 1995, Newman was the chief investor of a group, including the writer E.L. Doctorow and the editor Victor Navasky, that bought the progressive-left wing periodical ''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's ''The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
''. Newman was an occasional writer for the publication. Consistent with his work for liberal causes, Newman publicly supported
Ned Lamont Edward Miner Lamont Jr. (born January 3, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 89th governor of Connecticut. He has served in this position since January 9, 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Greenw ...
's candidacy in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic Primary against Senator
Joe Lieberman Joseph Isadore Lieberman (; born February 24, 1942) is an American politician, lobbyist, and attorney who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was its nominee for V ...
, and was even rumored as a candidate himself, until Lamont emerged as a credible alternative. He donated to
Chris Dodd Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history. ...
's presidential campaign. Newman earlier donated money to
Bill Richardson William Blaine Richardson III (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, author, and diplomat who served as the 30th governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. He was also the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary ...
's campaign for president in 2008. Newman attended the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, and was also present at the first Earth Day event in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
on April 22, 1970. Newman was concerned about
global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in a broader sense also includes ...
and supported nuclear energy development as a solution.


Auto racing

Newman was an auto racing enthusiast, and first became interested in motorsports ("the first thing that I ever found I had any grace in") while training at the Watkins Glen Racing School for the filming of '' Winning'', a 1969 film. Because of his love and passion for racing, Newman agreed in 1971 to star in and to host his first television special, '' Once Upon a Wheel,'' on the history of auto racing. It was produced and directed by David Winters, who co-owned a number of racing cars with Newman. Newman's first professional event as a racer was in 1972 at Thompson International Speedway, quietly entered as "P. L. Newman", by which he continued to be known in the racing community. He was a frequent competitor in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events for the rest of the decade, eventually winning four national championships. He later drove in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans in Dick Barbour's Porsche 935 and finished in second place. Newman reunited with Barbour in 2000 to compete in the Petit Le Mans. From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, he drove for the '' Bob Sharp Racing'' team, racing mainly Datsuns (later rebranded as Nissans) in the Trans-Am Series. He became closely associated with the brand during the 1980s, even appearing in commercials for them in Japan and having a special edition of the Nissan Skyline named after him. At the age of 70 years and eight days, Newman became the oldest driver to date to be part of a winning team in a major sanctioned race, winning in his class at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona. Among his last major races were the Baja 1000 in 2004 and the 24 Hours of Daytona once again in 2005. During the 1976 auto racing season, Newman became interested in forming a professional auto racing team and contacted Bill Freeman who introduced Newman to professional auto racing management, and their company specialized in Can-Am, Indy Cars, and other high-performance racing automobiles. The team was based in
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coa ...
and commuted to Willow Springs International Motorsports Park for much of its testing sessions. Their ''Newman Freeman Racing'' team was very competitive in the North American Can-Am series in their Budweiser sponsored Chevrolet-powered Spyder NFs. Newman and Freeman began a long and successful partnership with the Newman Freeman Racing team in the Can-Am series which culminated in the Can-Am Team Championship trophy in 1979. Newman was associated with Freeman's established Porsche racing team which allowed both Newman and Freeman to compete in SCCA and IMSA racing events together, including the Sebring 12-hour endurance sports car race. This car was sponsored by Beverly Porsche/Audi. Freeman was Sports Car Club of America's Southern Pacific National Champion during the Newman Freeman period. Later Newman co-founded ''Newman/Haas Racing'' with Carl Haas, a
Champ Car Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Team ...
team, in 1983, going on to win eight drivers' championships under his ownership. Newman was also briefly an owner in the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. ...
when he co-founded a research-and-development #18 team with Hendrick Motorsports' Greg Sacks behind the wheel – the team shut down after two seasons after losing their primary sponsor. The 1996 racing season was chronicled in the
IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graem ...
film '' Super Speedway'' (1997), which Newman narrated. He was a partner in the Atlantic Championship team Newman Wachs Racing. Newman voiced Doc Hudson in ''
Cars (2006) ''Cars'' is a 2006 American computer-animated sports comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by John Lasseter from a screenplay by Dan Fogelman, Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Kiel M ...
''. Having said he would quit "when I embarrass myself", Newman competed into his 80s, winning at Lime Rock in what former co-driver Sam Posey called a "brutish Corvette" displaying his age as its number: 81. He took the pole in his last professional race, in 2007 at Watkins Glen International, and in a 2008 run at Lime Rock, arranged by friends, he reportedly still did 9/10ths of his best time. Newman was posthumously inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame at the national convention in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
on February 21, 2009. Lime Rock Park's No Name Straight was renamed Paul Newman Straight in 2022. Newman's racing life was chronicled in the documentary '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'' (2015).


Motorsports career results


SCCA National Championship Runoffs


Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

( key)


Personal life

Newman was married twice. His first marriage was to Jackie Witte from 1949 to 1958. They had a son,
Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...
(19501978), and two daughters, Susan (born 1953) and Stephanie Kendall (born 1954). Scott, who appeared in films including ''
The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...
'' (1974), '' Breakheart Pass'' (1975), and the 1977 film '' Fraternity Row'', died in November 1978 from a drug overdose. Newman started the Scott Newman Center for
drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
prevention in memory of his son. Susan is a documentary filmmaker and philanthropist, and has Broadway and screen credits, including a starring role as one of four Beatles fans in '' I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' (1978), and also a small role opposite her father in ''Slap Shot''. She also received an Emmy nomination as co-producer of his telefilm, ''The Shadow Box''. Newman met actress Joanne Woodward in 1953, on the production of '' Picnic'' on Broadway. It was Newman's debut; Woodward was an understudy. Shortly after filming '' The Long, Hot Summer'' in 1957, he divorced Witte to marry Woodward. The Newmans moved to East 11th Street in Manhattan, before buying a home and raising their family in
Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...
. They were one of the first Hollywood movie star couples to choose to raise their families outside California. They remained married for 50 years until his death in 2008. Woodward has said "He's very good looking and very sexy and all of those things, but all of that goes out the window and what is finally left is, if you can make somebody laugh... And he sure does keep me laughing." Newman has attributed their relationship success to "some combination of lust and respect and patience. And determination." They had three daughters: Elinor "Nell" Teresa (b. 1959), Melissa "Lissy" Stewart (b. 1961), and Claire "Clea" Olivia (b. 1965). Newman was well known for his devotion to his wife and family. When once asked about his reputation for fidelity, he famously quipped, "Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?" He also said that he never met anyone who had as much to lose as he did. In his profile on ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...
'', he admitted he once left Woodward after a fight, walked around the outside of the house, knocked on the front door and explained to Joanne he had nowhere to go. Newman directed Nell alongside her mother in the films '' Rachel, Rachel'' and '' The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds''. Newman and Woodward also acted as mentors to Allison Janney. They met her while she was a freshman at
Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...
during a play which Newman was directing. Film critic Shawn Levy, in his biography ''Paul Newman: A Life'' (2009), alleged that Newman had an affair in the late 1960s with divorcée Nancy Bacon, a Hollywood journalist, which lasted one and a half years. In an article in the ''
Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet n ...
'', which stated also that Levy's claims "caused outrage" and were widely considered "an attempt to sully the image of a revered cinematic legend and committed philanthropist", the affair was reportedly denied by a friend of Newman's wife Joanne, who said she was upset by the claim. Levy criticised the tabloid newspaper, '' The New York Post'', which had a long-standing feud with Newman, for focusing on and emphasizing this aspect of his biography. He and Woodward were the subject of a 2022 docuseries by Ethan Hawke, '' The Last Movie Stars'', which was broadcast on
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netwo ...
.


Illness and death

Newman was scheduled to make his professional stage directing debut with the
Westport Country Playhouse Westport Country Playhouse, is a not-for-profit regional theater in Westport, Connecticut. It was founded in 1931 by Lawrence Langner, a New York theater producer. Langner remodeled an 1830s tannery with a Broadway-quality stage. History Cons ...
's 2008 production of John Steinbeck's ''
Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job ...
'', but he stepped down on May 23, 2008, citing his health concerns. In June 2008, it was widely reported in the press that he had been diagnosed with
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
and was receiving treatment for the condition at the
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institute� ...
in New York City. A. E. Hotchner, who partnered in the 1980s with Newman to start Newman's Own, told the Associated Press in an interview in mid-2008 that Newman had told him about being afflicted with the disease about 18 months earlier. Newman's spokesman told the press that the star was "doing nicely", but neither confirmed nor denied that he had cancer. The actor was a heavy cigarette smoker until he quit in 1986. Newman died at his home in Westport, Connecticut on the morning of September 26, 2008. He was cremated after a private funeral service.


Filmography


Partial theater credits

*"Harvey" playing the lead, Elwood P. Dowd – Belfry Players Theater, Williams Bay, Wisconsin. 1949 * ''Phaedra'' by Jean Racine and Robert Collington Ackart – Yale, 1951 * ''Beethoven'' by Dorothy B. Bland – Yale, 1952 * '' Picnic'' by William Inge – New York, 1953–54 * '' The Desperate Hours'' – New York, 1955 * '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' by Tennessee Williams – New York, 1959–60 * ''Baby Want a Kiss'' – New York, 1964 * ''Love Letters'' – Westport, 2000 * ''The Constant Wife'' – Westport, 2000 * ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 Metatheatre, metatheatrical Three act structure, three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Cor ...
'' by
Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays '' Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...
– Westport, New York, 2002–2003 * ''Trumbo'' – New York, 2004


Awards and nominations

Newman has been nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
in five different decades. In addition to awards Newman won for specific roles, he received an honorary Academy Award in 1986 for his "many and memorable and compelling screen performances" and the
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Governors Awards ceremonies for an individual's "outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes". Prior to 2009 and i ...
for his charity work in 1994. In 1992, Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward were recipients of
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
. In 1994, the couple received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an award given annually by
Jefferson Awards The Jefferson Awards Foundation was created in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service. The Jefferson Awards are given at both national and local levels. Local winners are ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectatio ...
. Newman won
Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to th ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
for ''The Long, Hot Summer'' and the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for ''Nobody's Fool''. In 1968, Newman was named Man of the Year by
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
's performance group, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The 2008 edition of ''
Sport Movies & TV – Milano International FICTS Fest Sport Movies & TV – Milano International FICTS Fest is the world's finals of the World FICTS Challenge, the worldwide championship of cinema, television, and sport culture, organized in sixteen festivals. The event, as well as its Champio ...
'' was dedicated to his memory. In 2015, the U.S. Postal Service issued a ' forever stamp' honoring Newman, which went on sale September 18, 2015. It features a 1980 photograph of Newman by photographer Steve Schapiro, accompanied by text that reads: 'Actor/Philanthropist'. Since the 1970s, Newman Day is an event celebrated at Kenyon College,
Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the Campus of Bates College, campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of th ...
,
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...
, and some other American colleges. On Newman Day, students try to drink 24 beers in 24 hours, based on a quote attributed to Newman about there being 24 beers in a case, and 24 hours in a day, and that this is surely not a mere coincidence. In 2004, Newman requested that Princeton University disassociate the event from his name, due to the fact that he did not endorse the behavior. He cited his creation in 1980 of the Scott Newman Center, "dedicated to the prevention of
substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
through education". Princeton disavowed any responsibility for the event, responding that Newman Day is not sponsored, endorsed, or encouraged by the university itself and is solely an unofficial event among students. On October 26, 2017, Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona wristwatch was auctioned in New York by Phillips Auctions for $17.5 million, making it one of the most expensive wristwatches ever sold at an auction. On September 3, 2022, Lime Rock Park, a road course in Lakeville, Connecticut, named the straight of the circuit past the Esses before The Uphill the Paul Newman Straight during the Historic Festival 40.


Bibliography

* Newman, Paul; Hotchner, A. E. ''Newman's Own Cookbook''. Simon & Schuster, 1998; . * Newman, Paul; Hotchner, A. E. ''Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good''. Doubleday Publishing, 2003; . * Excerpted transcripts of Newman's conversations with
Stewart Stern Stewart Henry Stern (March 22, 1922 – February 2, 2015) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing the screenplay for the film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), starring James Dean. Writing In addition to ''Rebel Without a C ...
.


See also

*
List of peace activists This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usually work ...
* List of select Jewish racing drivers


Notes


References

* *


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Thomson, Kenneth. ''The Films of Paul Newman''. 1978; .


External links

* * * * * *
Newman's Own

Newman's Own Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Paul 1925 births 2008 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors 20th Century Studios contract players 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors 24 Hours of Daytona drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Academy Honorary Award recipients Actors from Shaker Heights, Ohio American cookbook writers American food company founders American film producers American humanitarians American male film actors American male non-fiction writers American male television actors American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Slovak descent American philanthropists Audiobook narrators Best Actor Academy Award winners Best Director Golden Globe winners Best Foreign Actor BAFTA Award winners Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Burials in Connecticut Businesspeople from Connecticut Businesspeople from New York (state) Businesspeople from Ohio Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Connecticut Democrats David di Donatello winners Deaths from lung cancer in Connecticut Film directors from Connecticut Film directors from Ohio Film producers from Connecticut Film producers from Ohio IndyCar Series team owners Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winners Jewish American male actors Jewish American military personnel Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish American sportspeople Jewish film people Kennedy Center honorees Kenyon College alumni Male actors from Cleveland Male actors from Connecticut Male Western (genre) film actors Method actors Military personnel from Connecticut Military personnel from Ohio New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners Newman family (acting) Nixon's Enemies List Ohio University alumni Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Cleveland Heights, Ohio People from St. George, Staten Island People from Westport, Connecticut Racing drivers from Connecticut Racing drivers from Ohio Recipients of the Four Freedoms Award SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award Silver Bear for Best Actor winners Sportspeople from Shaker Heights, Ohio The Nation (U.S. magazine) people Trans-Am Series drivers United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy sailors Yale School of Drama alumni