If you haven’t heard of Paul Newman, the rock you’ve been living under for the past 50 years is going to take a forklift to dislodge. Fortunately, catching up won’t be a problem, despite Newman being 81 years old. Still active as a philanthropist, actor, race-car driver, and organic food mogul, the good-humored and talented film star has aged like wine, and remains one of Hollywood’s most beloved exports.
Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1925, Newman’s father was a second-generation Hungarian immigrant and ran a profitable sporting goods store. His mother, a housewife, also hailed from Hungary. After graduating from high school, where Newman was an active dramatist, he enrolled at Ohio University but before finishing he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon returning in 1946, Newman finished his degree at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and then traveled east where he studied acting at Yale University and the famed Actor’s Studio in New York City. After finding success on Broadway and on television, Newman made an inauspicious film debut with 1954’s “The Silver Chalice”, which he has since described as ‘the worst movie of the 50s’. His next film effort was “Somebody Up There Likes Me”, which was a mild success and got Newman noticed by major critics for his terrific performance as boxer Rocky Graziano.
After a remarkable performance that earned him his first of ten Oscar nominations in 1958’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, Newman blossomed in the 60s, becoming a veritable legend by the end of the decade. The famously blue-eyed actor was known for off-beat roles uncharacteristic of such a popular leading man, and his good-natured yet rebellious spirit helped turn the handsome actor into a major sex symbol. Films like “The Hustler”, “Hud”, and “Cool Hand Luke” (all of which garnered Newman Oscar nominations) showcased his quirky talents and his striking good looks. His legendary collaboration with Robert Redford, 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, was a phenomenal success, grossing a then-extraordinary $96 million and earning several Oscar nominations.
During this period Newman also began his impressive directing career with “Rachel, Rachel” in 1968, which earned a Best Picture nomination and starred his wife Joanne Woodward. Newman subsequently directed his wife in four more films, including his stunning adaptation of “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds” in 1972. The glamorous and charitable couple is still married after almost 50 years, and the pair has raised three daughters together.
Newman continued his unparalleled success in the 70s, starring in award-winning blockbusters like “The Sting” and “The Towering Inferno”. In the early 80s he received two more Oscar nominations, for “Absence of Malice” and “The Verdict”, both of which are considered among the greatest screen performances of all time. In 1986 he finally brought home an acting Oscar, winning for Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money” opposite a young Tom Cruise. More recently Newman has starred in “Nobody’s Fool”, “Road to Perdition”, and the acclaimed television film “Empire Falls”.
When Newman isn’t acting or racing cars (a pursuit he’s become increasingly fond of), he manages a multi-million dollar corporation, Newman’s Own. The successful organic food company makes spaghetti sauce, microwave popcorn, cookies, and other items. All of the proceeds are donated to charity, which has resulted in around $200 million in donations since the company was started in the early 80s. He has recently expressed a desire to retire from his various pursuits within the next few years, but regardless this Renaissance man will be long remembered as one of the kindest and most talented Hollywood stars in history.