Paul Newman

Legendary screen actor, political activist, and noted philanthropist Paul Newman passed away September 26 due to complications from lung cancer at the age of 83.
Born January 26, 1925, Newman studied Drama in college, eventually graduating from Yale University in 1954. He made his film debut in 1954’s The Silver Chalice. He would star in many successful movies in the 1950’s, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof co-starring Elizabeth Taylor.
Doing what few actors of the 50’s era were able to achieve, Newman extended his film career into the 60’s and 70’s. Some of his noted films include Hud, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
He also directed four feature films, and did a reprisal role of The Hustler, titled The Color of Money, for which he received an Academy Award.
From the 1960s on he was known for his political activism, even earning a spot on presidential punchline Richard Nixon’s enemies list. He was a strong advocate for same-sex marriage, and was a contributor of Chris Dodd’s campaign.
In 1982 he launched a food line Newman’s Own. The proceeds of this business were donated to charity, contributing a reported $200 million plus in charitable donations. He was also praised for discreetly giving generous donations to many charities, including a personal donation of nearly $8.75 million dollars to various charities supporting children.
He married Joanne Woodward in 1958 and had a marriage that lasted until his death, a rarity in Hollywood. He was once interviewed about fidelity, and, in reference to his wife, stated, “Why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home.”
His final on-screen appearance was in 2002’s Road to Perdition, although he did voice-over work, including Disney and Pixar’s Cars, which held special meaning as he had a passion for racing.
He has received numerous awards for his work, including A Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Academy Awards, The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award, and a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
He is survived by his wife of fifty years and five of his six children.