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 Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). His elder brother was Arthur S. Newman Jr., named for their father, a Jewish businessman who owned a successful sporting goods store and was the son of emigrants from Poland and Hungary. Newman's mother (born Ter��zia Feckov��, daughter of Stefan Fecko and M��ria Polenak) was a Roman Catholic Slovak from Homonna, Pticie (former Austro-Hungarian Empire), who became a practicing Christian Scientist. She and her brother, Newman's uncle Joe, had an interest in the creative arts, and it rubbed off on him. He acted in grade school and high school plays. The Newmans were well-to-do and Paul Newman grew up in affluent Shaker Heights. Before he became an actor, Newman ran the family sporting goods store in Cleveland, Ohio.By 1950, the 25-year-old Newman had been kicked out of Ohio University, where he belonged to the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, for unruly behavior (denting the college president's car with a beer keg), served three years in the United States Navy during World War II as a radio operator, graduated from Ohio's Kenyon College, married his first wife, Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte (born 1929), and had his first child, Scott. That same year, his father died. When he became successful in later years, Newman said if he had any regrets it would be that his father was not around to witness his success. He brought Jackie back to Shaker Heights and he ran his father's store for a short period. Then, knowing that wasn't the career path he wanted to take, he moved Jackie and Scott to New Haven, Connecticut, where he attended Yale University's School of Drama.While doing a play there, Newman was spotted by two agents, who invited him to come to New York City to pursue a career as a professional actor. After moving to New York, he acted in guest spots for various television series and in 1953 came a big break. He got the part of understudy of the lead role in the successful Broadway play "Picnic". Through this play, he met actress Joanne Woodward (born 1930), who was also an understudy in the play. While they got on very well and there was a strong attraction, Newman was married and his second child, Susan, was born that year. During this time, Newman was accepted into the much admired and popular New York Actors Studio, although he did not actually audition.In 1954, a film Newman was very reluctant to do was released, The Silver Chalice (1954). He considered his performance in this costume epic to be so bad that he took out a full-page ad in a trade paper apologizing for it to anyone who might have seen it. He had always been embarrassed about the film and reveled in making fun of it. He immediately wanted to return to the stage, and performed in "The Desperate Hours". In 1956, he got the chance to redeem himself in the film world by portraying boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), and critics praised his performance. In 1957, with a handful of films to his credit, he was cast in The Long, Hot Summer (1958), co-starring Joanne Woodward.During the shooting of this film, they realized they were meant to be together and by now, so did his then-wife Jackie, who gave Newman a divorce. He and Woodward wed in Las Vegas in January 1958. They went on to have three daughters together and raised them in Westport, Connecticut. In 1959, Newman received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). The 1960s would bring Newman into superstar status, as he became one of the most popular actors of the decade, and garnered three more Best Actor Oscar nominations, for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967). In 1968, his debut directorial effort Rachel, Rachel (1968) was given good marks, and although the film and Woodward were nominated for Oscars, Newman was not nominated for Best Director. However, he did win a Golden Globe Award for his direction.1969 brought the popular screen duo of Newman and Robert Redford together for the first time when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was released. It was a box office smash. Through the 1970s, Newman had hits and misses from such popular films as The Sting (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974) to lesser known films as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) to a cult classic Slap Shot (1977). After the death of his only son, Scott, in 1978, Newman's personal life and film choices moved in a different direction. His acting work in the 1980s and on is what is often most praised by critics today. He became more at ease with himself and it was evident in The Verdict (1982) for which he received his sixth Best Actor Oscar nomination and, in 1987, finally received his first Oscar for The Color of Money (1986), almost thirty years after Woodward had won hers. Friend and director of Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Robert Wise accepted the award on Newman's behalf as the actor did not attend the ceremony.Films were not the only thing on his mind during this period. A passionate race car driver since the early 1970s (despite being color-blind), he was co-founder of Newman-Haas racing in 1982, and also founded "Newman's Own", a successful line of food products that has earned in excess of $100 million, every penny of which Newman donated to charity. He also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for children with serious illness. He was as well known for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he was for his legendary actor status.Newman's marriage to Woodward lasted a half-century. Connecticut was their primary residence after leaving Hollywood and moving East in 1960. Renowned for his sense of humor, in 1998 he quipped that he was a little embarrassed to see his salad dressing grossing more than his movies. During his later years, he still attended races, was much involved in his charitable organizations, and in 2006, he opened a restaurant called Dressing Room, which helps out the Westport Country Playhouse, a place in which Newman took great pride. In 2007, while the public was largely unaware of the serious illness from which he was suffering, Newman made some headlines when he said he was losing his invention and confidence in his acting abilities and that acting was "pretty much a closed book for me". A smoker for many years, Newman died on September 26, 2008, aged 83, from lung cancer.
Bio:
Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). His elder brother was Arthur S. Newman Jr., named for their father, a Jewish businessman who owned a successful sporting goods store and was the son of emigrants from Poland and Hungary. Newman's mother (born Ter��zia Feckov��, daughter of Stefan Fecko and M��ria Polenak) was a Roman Catholic Slovak from Homonna, Pticie (former Austro-Hungarian Empire), who became a practicing Christian Scientist. She and her brother, Newman's uncle Joe, had an interest in the creative arts, and it rubbed off on him. He acted in grade school and high school plays. The Newmans were well-to-do and Paul Newman grew up in affluent Shaker Heights. Before he became an actor, Newman ran the family sporting goods store in Cleveland, Ohio.By 1950, the 25-year-old Newman had been kicked out of Ohio University, where he belonged to the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, for unruly behavior (denting the college president's car with a beer keg), served three years in the United States Navy during World War II as a radio operator, graduated from Ohio's Kenyon College, married his first wife, Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte (born 1929), and had his first child, Scott. That same year, his father died. When he became successful in later years, Newman said if he had any regrets it would be that his father was not around to witness his success. He brought Jackie back to Shaker Heights and he ran his father's store for a short period. Then, knowing that wasn't the career path he wanted to take, he moved Jackie and Scott to New Haven, Connecticut, where he attended Yale University's School of Drama.While doing a play there, Newman was spotted by two agents, who invited him to come to New York City to pursue a career as a professional actor. After moving to New York, he acted in guest spots for various television series and in 1953 came a big break. He got the part of understudy of the lead role in the successful Broadway play "Picnic". Through this play, he met actress Joanne Woodward (born 1930), who was also an understudy in the play. While they got on very well and there was a strong attraction, Newman was married and his second child, Susan, was born that year. During this time, Newman was accepted into the much admired and popular New York Actors Studio, although he did not actually audition.In 1954, a film Newman was very reluctant to do was released, The Silver Chalice (1954). He considered his performance in this costume epic to be so bad that he took out a full-page ad in a trade paper apologizing for it to anyone who might have seen it. He had always been embarrassed about the film and reveled in making fun of it. He immediately wanted to return to the stage, and performed in "The Desperate Hours". In 1956, he got the chance to redeem himself in the film world by portraying boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), and critics praised his performance. In 1957, with a handful of films to his credit, he was cast in The Long, Hot Summer (1958), co-starring Joanne Woodward.During the shooting of this film, they realized they were meant to be together and by now, so did his then-wife Jackie, who gave Newman a divorce. He and Woodward wed in Las Vegas in January 1958. They went on to have three daughters together and raised them in Westport, Connecticut. In 1959, Newman received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). The 1960s would bring Newman into superstar status, as he became one of the most popular actors of the decade, and garnered three more Best Actor Oscar nominations, for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967). In 1968, his debut directorial effort Rachel, Rachel (1968) was given good marks, and although the film and Woodward were nominated for Oscars, Newman was not nominated for Best Director. However, he did win a Golden Globe Award for his direction.1969 brought the popular screen duo of Newman and Robert Redford together for the first time when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was released. It was a box office smash. Through the 1970s, Newman had hits and misses from such popular films as The Sting (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974) to lesser known films as The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) to a cult classic Slap Shot (1977). After the death of his only son, Scott, in 1978, Newman's personal life and film choices moved in a different direction. His acting work in the 1980s and on is what is often most praised by critics today. He became more at ease with himself and it was evident in The Verdict (1982) for which he received his sixth Best Actor Oscar nomination and, in 1987, finally received his first Oscar for The Color of Money (1986), almost thirty years after Woodward had won hers. Friend and director of Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Robert Wise accepted the award on Newman's behalf as the actor did not attend the ceremony.Films were not the only thing on his mind during this period. A passionate race car driver since the early 1970s (despite being color-blind), he was co-founder of Newman-Haas racing in 1982, and also founded "Newman's Own", a successful line of food products that has earned in excess of $100 million, every penny of which Newman donated to charity. He also started The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, an organization for children with serious illness. He was as well known for his philanthropic ways and highly successful business ventures as he was for his legendary actor status.Newman's marriage to Woodward lasted a half-century. Connecticut was their primary residence after leaving Hollywood and moving East in 1960. Renowned for his sense of humor, in 1998 he quipped that he was a little embarrassed to see his salad dressing grossing more than his movies. During his later years, he still attended races, was much involved in his charitable organizations, and in 2006, he opened a restaurant called Dressing Room, which helps out the Westport Country Playhouse, a place in which Newman took great pride. In 2007, while the public was largely unaware of the serious illness from which he was suffering, Newman made some headlines when he said he was losing his invention and confidence in his acting abilities and that acting was "pretty much a closed book for me". A smoker for many years, Newman died on September 26, 2008, aged 83, from lung cancer.
Tivia:
Turned down the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry (1971) because he thought the screenplay was too right-wing, and recommended Clint Eastwood for the role instead.Had his own line of food products, "Newman's Own", featuring mainly spaghetti sauces and salad dressings. The company made more than $100 million in profits over the years, all of which he donated to various charities.He was among the celebrities on the famous "Enemies List" kept by President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.Known as an inveterate prankster, he and Robert Redford in particular played numerous pranks on each other. One time, Redford, who was also into car racing, had a beaten-up Porsche shell delivered to Newman's porch for Newman's 50th birthday. Newman never said anything, but not long after, Redford found a crate of the (now) molten metal delivered to the living room of a house Redford rented, which dented the floor. Not to be outdone, Redford then had the metal turned into an incredibly ugly sculpture and dropped into Newman's garden.The animated comedy Cars (2006), his last film, was the highest-grossing film of his career.Finished second in the 1979 Le Mans 24-hour race in a Porsche 935.After being asked so many times what the secret was to being married for so long to Joanne Woodward, he finally responded, "I don't know what she puts in my food".Often said that of all the films he had performed in, Slap Shot (1977) was the most fun and his personal favorite.Godfather of Jake Gyllenhaal.Donated between $150 million-$175 million to charity since the 1980s.Said that he burned his tuxedo on his 75th birthday because he was through with formality.This was little known that he was a skilled jazz and blue piano player, like Clint Eastwood. One photo was taken which appears to show him playing while Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin sing, while Robert Mitchum and James Garner look on.He was the visual inspiration for the illustrations of superhero Green Lantern/Hal Jordan (when the character was reintroduced in 1959). Newman was 34 years old at the time.The GI Bill got him through his first three months at Yale University. To pay tuition for the rest of his time there, he sold Encyclopedia Britannica. He claims he was very good at it.Students at Princeton University have named 24 April Newman's Day. Students try to drink 24 beers over the 24 hours of the day. The tradition stems from a comment that Newman is alleged to have made; "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." The event is not officially sponsored by the university, and Newman stated that he would "like to bring an end to the tradition".Got two roles which were first offered to Elvis Presley but which were turned down by Presley's manager: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Sweet Bird of Youth (1962).Said in an interview that a film had never made any special impact on him until he saw On the Waterfront (1954).Nine years after his death, he reprised his role as Doc Hudson in Cars 3 (2017): unused recordings from Cars (2006) were used as new dialogue.Was training to be a pilot while in the United States Navy, but was discovered to be colorblind, ending his flying aspirations.He was nominated for nine acting Academy Awards in five different decades - the 1950s (Best Lead Actor for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)), 1960s (Best Lead Actor for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967)), the 1980s (Best Lead Actor for Absence of Malice (1981), The Verdict (1982) and The Color of Money (1986) winning for this last film), the 1990s (Best Lead Actor for Nobody's Fool (1994)) and finally in Road to Perdition (2002) for Best Supporting Actor.When Premiere magazine does a list of 24 Great Performances from each year, they often ask the actors who their idols are. Newman has been the most frequently cited idol so far.Was offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur (1959), which he turned down because he said he did not have the legs to wear a tunic.Early in his acting career, he was often mistaken for Marlon Brando. He claims to have signed around 500 autographs reading, "Best wishes, Marlon Brando".He and his daughter Nell Potts were supposed to be in Paper Moon (1973) in the leading roles, but this changed when original director John Huston bowed out and was replaced by Peter Bogdanovich.Said the sound he loved most is that of a V-8 engine.Once, when he was handing out punch at a Westport charity event, a dowager asked him to stir her drink with his finger. "I'd be glad to," Newman replied, "but I just took it out of a cyanide bottle.".Newman did all of his own driving in films despite his color blindness.For a Mother's Day gift, he gave wife Joanne Woodward two hours of uninterrupted driving around the roads of Westport, Connecticut that they had never seen before.The Simpsons series episode Lost Verizon (2008), was dedicated to his memory.Turned down the role of the shark hunter Quint in Jaws (1975), which went to Robert Shaw.Was so ashamed of his debut in the failed costume drama The Silver Chalice (1954), that he took out an ad in Variety apologizing for his performance. Years later, he was presented with the Golden Turkey Award for the Most Embarrassing Movie Debut of All Time for his performance in The Silver Chalice (1954). His response was that he fully agreed with the award.Had a son and two girls with his first wife Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte. His only son, Scott Newman, died of a drug overdose in 1978. Daughter, Susan Kendall Newman, is well known for stage acting and her philanthropic activities. His other daughter from his first marriage is named Stephanie and was born in 1954.His performance as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is ranked #20 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. This is a ranking which he shares with Robert Redford, who played the Sundance Kid.Prior to filming The Hustler (1961), Newman lacked talent at playing pool. But after brushing up on it for the role, he felt very confident in his ability. So he bet co-star Jackie Gleason $50 on a game of pool. Being the excellent pool player he was, Gleason beat Newman. Instead of paying him in dollar bills, Newman dumped $50 worth of pennies on the table for Gleason to take.One of the most sought after and valuable collectible Rolex watches, the early "Daytona" model, from the 1960s, is known unofficially and passionately worldwide, as the Rolex "Paul Newman", which in steel can fetch as much as $100,000 in auctions. This nickname was adopted as he sported one in film.Is one of only six actors to be nominated for acting honors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over five decades (1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). Laurence Olivier (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s), Katharine Hepburn (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s), Jack Nicholson (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) and Michael Caine (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) Meryl Streep (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s) are the others who have turned the trick.Became a rear gunner of a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber when his color blindness disqualified him from being a pilot.In May 2007, Newman announced he was retiring from acting. He had previously announced his retirement in 1995, but came back to make four more movies. Newman passed away on September 26, 2008, aged 83. A heavy smoker for thirty years, he died of lung cancer.Owned the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for children with cancer and other blood-related diseases (and their siblings) in Ashford, Connecticut, and also ran a fall "Discovery" program for inner city kids, also in Ashford.Otto Preminger, Jewish himself, cast him in Exodus (1960) because he wanted someone of Jewish heritage who did not "look Jewish".Like his dear friend Robert Redford, both men had firstborn sons named Scott who predeceased their fathers.In the 1970s, long before Brokeback Mountain (2005), he was thwarted by Hollywood in his desire to star in the movie version of the best-selling novel "The Front Runner", about the love affair between a male coach and a male star runner. The project remains unmade.When Newman failed to receive an Oscar nomination for his performance in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), producer Charles Schnee and director Robert Wise gave him what they called a "Noscar". The engraving says, "The Schnee-Wise Noscar award to Paul Newman for best portraying a terrible no-good, for turning him into a charming and lovable sprite, and for thereby doing what Lincoln said should never be done, i.e. fooling all of the people all of the time.".His father was Ashkenazi Jewish. Paul's paternal grandparents were Simon Newman, from Hungary, and Hannah Cohn, from Poland. Paul's mother was from an ethnic Slovak family, and was born in Homonna, Pticie, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to Stefan Fetsko and M��ria Polenak. As an adult, while Paul was not religious, he described himself as Jewish because it's "more of a challenge".Became friends with future Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme when they were students at Kenyon College in Ohio in 1940s.Turned down Donald Sutherland's role in A Time to Kill (1996) because he found the film's justification of murder distasteful.During the 1950s and 1960s, he was close friends with fellow Democrat and civil rights activist Charlton Heston. In 1983, after Heston's political beliefs had moved to the Right, both actors took opposing sides in a television debate on President Ronald Reagan's Star Wars defense missile program. Heston, much better briefed and prepared than Newman, was judged to have won the debate easily. Some years later, when Newman learned that Heston was supposed to introduce him at an awards ceremony, Newman insisted that his one-time friend be replaced by the liberal Donald Sutherland.While campaigning for the Democrats in the 1968 U.S. Presidential election, Newman would rent a Jaguar on the weekends. When he found out that opponent Richard Nixon, who was known to his naysayers as "Tricky Dick", was renting the same car during the week, Newman left a note in it saying "This clutch is tricky, so you won't have any trouble with it.".Had appeared in six films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Verdict (1982). Only The Sting (1973) won in the category. He was nominated for Best Actor for his performances in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler and The Verdict.Had three daughters with Joanne Woodward: actress Melissa Newman, Nell Potts and Claire Newman. |
| Name: |
Paul Newman |
Type: |
Actor,Producer,Director (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Model rank: |
112 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 03:10:48 |
| Height: |
5' 9?' (1.77 m) |
| Biography: |
Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). His elder |
| Trivia: |
Turned down the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry (1971) because he thought the screenplay was too right-wing, and recommended Clint Eastwood for the role instead.Had his own line of food products, "Newman's Own", featuring mainly spaghetti sauces and salad dressings. The company made more than $100 million in profits over the years, all of which he donated to various charities.He was among the celebrities on the famous "Enemies List" kept by President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.Known as an inveterate prankster, he and Robert Redford in particular played numerous pranks on each other. One time, Redford, who was also into car racing, had a beaten-up Porsche shell delivered to Newman's porch for Newman's 50th birthday. Newman never said anything, but not long after, Redford found a crate of the (now) molten metal delivered to the living room of a house Redford rented, which dented the floor. Not to be outdone, Redford then had the metal turned into an incredibly ugly sculpture and dropped into Newman's garden.The animated comedy Cars (2006), his last film, was the highest-grossing film of his career.Finished second in the 1979 Le Mans 24-hour race in a Porsche 935.After being asked so many times what the secret was to being married for so long to Joanne Woodward, he finally responded, "I don't know what she puts in my food".Often said that of all the films he had performed in, Slap Shot (1977) was the most fun and his personal favorite.Godfather of Jake Gyllenhaal.Donated between $150 million-$175 million to charity since the 1980s.Said that he burned his tuxedo on his 75th birthday because he was through with formality.This was little known that he was a skilled jazz and blue piano player, like Clint Eastwood. One photo was taken which appears to show him playing while Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin sing, while Robert Mitchum and James Garner look on.He was the visual inspiration for the illustrations of superhero Green Lantern/Hal Jordan (when the character was reintroduced in 1959). Newman was 34 years old at the time.The GI Bill got him through his first three months at Yale University. To pay tuition for the rest of his time there, he sold Encyclopedia Britannica. He claims he was very good at it.Students at Princeton University have named 24 April Newman's Day. Students try to drink 24 beers over the 24 hours of the day. The tradition stems from a comment that Newman is alleged to have made; "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." The event is not officially sponsored by the university, and Newman stated that he would "like to bring an end to the tradition".Got two roles which were first offered to Elvis Presley but which were turned down by Presley's manager: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Sweet Bird of Youth (1962).Said in an interview that a film had never made any special impact on him until he saw On the Waterfront (1954).Nine years after his death, he reprised his role as Doc Hudson in Cars 3 (2017): unused recordings from Cars (2006) were used as new dialogue.Was training to be a pilot while in the United States Navy, but was discovered to be colorblind, ending his flying aspirations.He was nominated for nine acting Academy Awards in five different decades - the 1950s (Best Lead Actor for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)), 1960s (Best Lead Actor for The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967)), the 1980s (Best Lead Actor for Absence of Malice (1981), The Verdict (1982) and The Color of Money (1986) winning for this last film), the 1990s (Best Lead Actor for Nobody's Fool (1994)) and finally in Road to Perdition (2002) for Best Supporting Actor.When Premiere magazine does a list of 24 Great Performances from each year, they often ask the actors who their idols are. Newman has been the most frequently cited idol so far.Was offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur (1959), which he turned down because he said he did not have the legs to wear a tunic.Early in his acting career, he was often mistaken for Marlon Brando. He claims to have signed around 500 autographs reading, "Best wishes, Marlon Brando".He and his daughter Nell Potts were supposed to be in Paper Moon (1973) in the leading roles, but this changed when original director John Huston bowed out and was replaced by Peter Bogdanovich.Said the sound he loved most is that of a V-8 engine.Once, when he was handing out punch at a Westport charity event, a dowager asked him to stir her drink with his finger. "I'd be glad to," Newman replied, "but I just took it out of a cyanide bottle.".Newman did all of his own driving in films despite his color blindness.For a Mother's Day gift, he gave wife Joanne Woodward two hours of uninterrupted driving around the roads of Westport, Connecticut that they had never seen before.The Simpsons series episode Lost Verizon (2008), was dedicated to his memory.Turned down the role of the shark hunter Quint in Jaws (1975), which went to Robert Shaw.Was so ashamed of his debut in the failed costume drama The Silver Chalice (1954), that he took out an ad in Variety apologizing for his performance. Years later, he was presented with the Golden Turkey Award for the Most Embarrassing Movie Debut of All Time for his performance in The Silver Chalice (1954). His response was that he fully agreed with the award.Had a son and two girls with his first wife Jacqueline "Jackie" Witte. His only son, Scott Newman, died of a drug overdose in 1978. Daughter, Susan Kendall Newman, is well known for stage acting and her philanthropic activities. His other daughter from his first marriage is named Stephanie and was born in 1954.His performance as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is ranked #20 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. This is a ranking which he shares with Robert Redford, who played the Sundance Kid.Prior to filming The Hustler (1961), Newman lacked talent at playing pool. But after brushing up on it for the role, he felt very confident in his ability. So he bet co-star Jackie Gleason $50 on a game of pool. Being the excellent pool player he was, Gleason beat Newman. Instead of paying him in dollar bills, Newman dumped $50 worth of pennies on the table for Gleason to take.One of the most sought after and valuable collectible Rolex watches, the early "Daytona" model, from the 1960s, is known unofficially and passionately worldwide, as the Rolex "Paul Newman", which in steel can fetch as much as $100,000 in auctions. This nickname was adopted as he sported one in film.Is one of only six actors to be nominated for acting honors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over five decades (1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). Laurence Olivier (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s), Katharine Hepburn (1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s), Jack Nicholson (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) and Michael Caine (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s) Meryl Streep (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s) are the others who have turned the trick.Became a rear gunner of a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber when his color blindness disqualified him from being a pilot.In May 2007, Newman announced he was retiring from acting. He had previously announced his retirement in 1995, but came back to make four more movies. Newman passed away on September 26, 2008, aged 83. A heavy smoker for thirty years, he died of lung cancer.Owned the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for children with cancer and other blood-related diseases (and their siblings) in Ashford, Connecticut, and also ran a fall "Discovery" program for inner city kids, also in Ashford.Otto Preminger, Jewish himself, cast him in Exodus (1960) because he wanted someone of Jewish heritage who did not "look Jewish".Like his dear friend Robert Redford, both men had firstborn sons named Scott who predeceased their fathers.In the 1970s, long before Brokeback Mountain (2005), he was thwarted by Hollywood in his desire to star in the movie version of the best-selling novel "The Front Runner", about the love affair between a male coach and a male star runner. The project remains unmade.When Newman failed to receive an Oscar nomination for his performance in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), producer Charles Schnee and director Robert Wise gave him what they called a "Noscar". The engraving says, "The Schnee-Wise Noscar award to Paul Newman for best portraying a terrible no-good, for turning him into a charming and lovable sprite, and for thereby doing what Lincoln said should never be done, i.e. fooling all of the people all of the time.".His father was Ashkenazi Jewish. Paul's paternal grandparents were Simon Newman, from Hungary, and Hannah Cohn, from Poland. Paul's mother was from an ethnic Slovak family, and was born in Homonna, Pticie, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to Stefan Fetsko and M��ria Polenak. As an adult, while Paul was not religious, he described himself as Jewish because it's "more of a challenge".Became friends with future Prime Minister of Sweden, Olof Palme when they were students at Kenyon College in Ohio in 1940s.Turned down Donald Sutherland's role in A Time to Kill (1996) because he found the film's justification of murder distasteful.During the 1950s and 1960s, he was close friends with fellow Democrat and civil rights activist Charlton Heston. In 1983, after Heston's political beliefs had moved to the Right, both actors took opposing sides in a television debate on President Ronald Reagan's Star Wars defense missile program. Heston, much better briefed and prepared than Newman, was judged to have won the debate easily. Some years later, when Newman learned that Heston was supposed to introduce him at an awards ceremony, Newman insisted that his one-time friend be replaced by the liberal Donald Sutherland.While campaigning for the Democrats in the 1968 U.S. Presidential election, Newman would rent a Jaguar on the weekends. When he found out that opponent Richard Nixon, who was known to his naysayers as "Tricky Dick", was renting the same car during the week, Newman left a note in it saying "This clutch is tricky, so you won't have any trouble with it.".Had appeared in six films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Verdict (1982). Only The Sting (1973) won in the category. He was nominated for Best Actor for his performances in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler and The Verdict.Had three daughters with Joanne Woodward: actress Melissa Newman, Nell Potts and Claire Newman. |
| Trademarks: |
His movies often reflect his political views
Often played detached yet charismatic anti-heroes and rebels
He was known for his wry, puckish sense of humor, mainly off-screen.
While he played similar system-bucking, troubled young men as such near contemporaries as Marlon Brando and James Dean, Newman's characters were often more humorous, introspective and self-assured. Newman's character's conflicts were often ironic and (intentionally) borderline-absurd.
Bright blue eyes |
| Quotes: |
[responding to an interviewer's question as to why he was never "tempted" by the many beautiful Hollywood actresses he worked with] Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?
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[in response to radio interviewer who asked if he would co-star with Robert Redford in a sequel to Indecent Proposal (1993)] Like a rocket! I'd shack up with anyone for a million dollars. I'd shack up with a gorilla for a million, plus 10%.
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[1974, on the success of his collaborations with wife Joanne Woodward] You should see us when we get back to the bedroom.
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[1982] Acting is like letting your pants down - you're exposed.
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The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films. |
| Salaries: |
Blaze (1989) - $5,000,000
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The Color of Money (1986) - $4,000,000
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The Towering Inferno (1974) - $1,000,000 + 10% of gross
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The Sting (1973) - $500,000 and profit participation
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| Job title: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Others works: |
TV commercial (PSA): Gun-Control and Anti-Gun Violence
(1982-84) TV commercial: Nissan Skyline RS (Japan only).
(1998) TV commercial: Texaco (voice)
(late 1980s) TV commercial: Barilla pasta (European market only)
(6/02) Stage: Starred (as "Stage |
| Spouse: |
Joanne Woodward (January 29, 1958 - September 26, 2008) (his death, 3 children)Jacqueline Witte (December 27, 1949 - January 28, 1958) (divorced, 3 children) |
| Children: |
Scott NewmanSusan Kendall NewmanMelissa NewmanClaire NewmanNell PottsStephanie Newman |
| Parents: |
Theresa Fetsko
Arthur Sigmund Newman |
| Relatives: |
Arthur S. Newman Jr. (Sibling) |
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