Paul Newman
“A blue-eyed leading man of rare integrity who became as known for philanthropy as for film.”
In 1958 Paul Newman delivered a star-making performance as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and married actress Joanne Woodward, beginning a Hollywood partnership and marriage that lasted fifty years. The same period established him as the cool, blue-eyed anti-hero who would define a generation of films. Decades later that same fame fueled a food company and racing teams that turned celebrity into hundreds of millions in charity.
Method and Stardom
A Navy veteran trained at the Actors Studio, Newman broke through in the late 1950s with intense, brooding leads. His piercing blue eyes and rebellious charm made him one of Hollywood's biggest box-office draws for three decades.
The Anti-Hero
Roles in The Hustler, Hud, and Cool Hand Luke cast him as the charismatic outsider, while Butch Cassidy and The Sting made him and Robert Redford a beloved screen duo. He earned ten acting Oscar nominations before winning for The Color of Money.
Racing and Philanthropy
Off screen Newman pursued auto racing with genuine skill and launched Newman's Own, donating all profits to charity. His fifty-year marriage to Joanne Woodward and his humanitarian work defined a life as admired as his films.
Career Timeline
- 1925Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio
- 1958Stars in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- 1958Marries actress Joanne Woodward
- 1961Plays Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler
- 1969Teams with Redford in Butch Cassidy
- 1973Reunites with Redford in The Sting
- 1982Co-founds Newman's Own food company
- 1986Wins Best Actor for The Color of Money
- 1994Receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
- 2008Dies of cancer in Westport, Connecticut
Biggest Hits
- He was a serious race-car driver, winning multiple SCCA national championships and competing at Le Mans in his 70s.
- Every after-tax dollar from Newman's Own food products goes to charity, totaling hundreds of millions.
The Moment You Remember
He is remembered grinning through a fight he cannot win in Cool Hand Luke, embodying a stubborn, unbreakable spirit summed up in the film's famous line about a failure to communicate.
Portrait: Unknown author · Public domain (1958, no notice) · via Wikimedia Commons