A director and race car driver as well as a legendary actor, Paul Newman's biography is impressive and he was known for his extensive philanthropy. He created the highly successful Newman’s Own food products, which contributed more than $250 million in profits to thousands of charities worldwide, including HELP USA, which helps the homeless to become and remain self-reliant, and The Canary Foundation, dedicated to the research and development of technologies and techniques to detect cancer early.
Paul Leonard Newman was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, on January 26, 1925, the son of a sporting goods storeowner. Paul Newman's military career began when he enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school, but was rejected for pilot training because of color blindness. He fulfilled his three-year tour of duty aboard torpedo bombers in the South Pacific as a radioman third class.
Paul Newman's movies are renowned in Hollywood. He worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half-century, a group that included Alfred Hitchcock, JohnHuston, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting.
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Box Office Draw
After returning to Broadway to star in "The
Desperate Hours," Paul Newman's movie career got a major boost from his next role, "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956), which drew critical raves for his portrayal of the boxer Rocky Graziano. His developing screen persona of a smoldering, volatile ne’er-do-well in such works as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "The Long Hot Summer" (1958), and "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1962) riveted audiences and marked him as not only an A list picture actor but a matinee idol as well.
Among his other notable films are "The Sting" (1973), in which he also played opposite Redford; "The Drowning Pool" (1975), an offbeat whodunit; "Slap Shot" (1977), one of the few movies ever made about ice hockey; and "The Verdict" (1982), in which he played an alcoholic lawyer attempting to make a comeback.
But Paul Newman has been more than a terrific actor, an inspiring director, and an all-around success on the silver screen. He has established a reputation for his social conscience, devoting himself to a variety of good works. He established the anti-drug Scott Newman Foundation to honor one of his six children, Scott, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 1978, He and second wife Joanne
The first Newman’s Own product was the now famous Oil & Vinegar Dressing. In the 20+ years since its launch, the brand expanded product offerings to include a collection of salad dressings, pasta sauces, salsas, popcorn, lemonade, and steak sauce. In 1993 the business expanded to include Newman’s daughter, Nell, when she created a line of organic food products called Newman’s Own Organics.
Newman is survived by his wife of 50 years Joanne Woodward, five daughters, two grandsons, and his older brother, Arthur.