Paul Newman

Cast · Writer · Director

Born

January 26, 1925 · Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA

Died

September 26, 2008

Birth name

Paul Leonard Newman

"I’m not interested in being a movie star. I’m interested in being an actor. Movie stars are someone else’s creation. I want to create something for myself." Paul Newman was a celebrated American actor and director known for his charismatic screen presence and iconic roles. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Newman served as a U.S. Navy radio operator during World War II before pursuing acting. He attended Kenyon College and studied at The Actors Studio in New York City. Newman began his career with Broadway appearances, including Picnic (1953), and met his future wife, Joanne Woodward, during this time. They married in 1958, becoming a prominent Hollywood couple. Newman's film career started with The Silver Chalice (1954) but gained momentum with acclaimed performances in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). He became known for playing antiheroic roles, with standout performances in The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), and Cool Hand Luke (1967). Newman’s collaboration with Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973) solidified his status as a leading man. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Newman appeared in various films, including The Towering Inferno (1974) and Absence of Malice (1981). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for The Color of Money (1986), a sequel to The Hustler. Newman continued to act and received additional nominations for Nobody’s Fool (1994) and Road to Perdition (2002). In addition to acting, Newman directed several films, often featuring Woodward. Notable directorial works include Rachel, Rachel (1968), Sometimes a Great Notion (1971), and The Glass Menagerie (1987). Newman retired from acting in 2007 due to declining health and was diagnosed with cancer later that year. He passed away in 2008. Newman was also known for his philanthropy, particularly through his food products company, Newman’s Own, which donated all profits to charity.