Paul Newman died in his home in Westport, Connecticut yesterday (Friday, September 27) from cancer. Paul Newman was one of the few people in this world who’s class and personal character defined him. Who he was was larger than what he did for a living. Whenever I think of the word Paul Newman, I think of an individual who devoted the majority of their life to helping children who needed, desperately, for someone to care.
I also think of a devoted and loving husband. He was married to Joanne Woodward in 1958 and neither ever saw fit to untie the union. When asked about his faithfulness to his wife, Paul Newman once said, “Why would I go out for a hamburger when (I) have steak at home?”
Paul Newman, one of the greatest “method actors” ever, starred in classics such as “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Exodus,” “The Hustler,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting” and “The Verdict.” In 1986, on his eighth try, he won an oscar for “The Color of Money.”
Paul Newman always did the unexpected. Playing a race car driver in the 1969 movie “Winning” led to him actually competing in races. In fact, he loved it! When he was 70 years young, he participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona and he was still racing at age 80.
Paul Newman was known for his liberal political views and was even on Richard Nixon’s enemies list – a distinction he called “..the highest single honor I’ve ever received.”
In 1982, Paul Newman and a friend (A.E. Hotchner) founded the now infamous Newman’s Own, which produces foods such as pasta sauces, salad dressings, chocolate chip cookies, etc. Remarkably and beautifully, this company donates all profits to charities. Newman once said, “The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films.” So much so, that last checked – Newman’s Own has given away more than $200 million.
One of the charities aided by this money is one Newman, himself, founded: Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang. This camp was founded to help gravely ill children.
On a totally shallow note, I personally think Mr. Newman was one of the 3 most handsome actors ever (as a matter of fact, I’m having trouble at the moment thinking of who the other 2 would be). He was a looker! Before and after his hair went gray. Actually, when it turned white, it brought even more attention to his beautiful eyes!
A few Did You Know’s about this remarkable man:
- Paul Newman was born in 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio (near Cleveland).
- He served three years in the Navy during WW II.
- He studied acting at Yale and at New York’s Actors’ Studio.
- Paul Newman’s first Hollywood film, “The Silver Chalice,” bombed royally. He would make jokes about this movie for rest of his life. He actually even took out a newspaper ad to apologize for his performance. Again, pretty unexpected.
- His performance as boxer Rocky Graziano in “Somebody Up There Likes Me” in 1956 ended his newspaper apologies. This is probably the movie that made him a star.
- The movie “The Long, Hot Summer” (1958) would be even more important to him, however, since it’s when he met his soon-to-be beloved wife of a lifetime, Joanne Woodward.
- Paul Newman’s loss of son Scott to a drug overdose in 1978, understandably, hit him incredibly hard.
Paul Newman is survived by his wife, Joanne Woodward, and five children. And his millions of fans - and children he has touched.
And the other 2 are…. Um… Nothing. Crickets in the silence.
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