Academy-Award winning actor Paul Newman, who personified cool has died. Newman passed away Friday surrounded by his family and close friends after a long battle with cancer according to his publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was 83.
As a young man Newman was encouraged by his mother to pursue his early interest in acting. He eventually became much more than an actor. In addition to acting he found success as a race car driver and
racing team owner. He was also the founder of
Newman's Own, a food company from which Newman donated all profits and royalties in excess of $220 million dollars to charity. The brand started out with salad dressing, and has expanded to include pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, and salsa, and wine among other things. His popcorn brand is wildly poular.
Fate intervened in order for the world to have the experience of Newman. Paul Newman
served in the Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater. Hoping to become a pilot, that ambition was thwarted when they Navy found out he was colorblind. He went on to Qualify as a rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers. He served aboard the USS Bunker Hill during the battle for Okinawa in the spring of 1945. He was ordered to the ship as radioman/gunner in an Avenger with a draft of replacements shortly before the attack, but by a fluke of war was held back because his pilot had an ear infection. The rest of his detail died.
He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most popular film stars, a legend held in awe by myself and his peers. He was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning one regular award and two honorary ones. He had major roles in more than
50 motion pictures, including the classics
Exodus (1960), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969),The Sting (1973), Absence of Malice (1981) and
The Verdict (1982).
A social activist, since the '60's, Newman earned his way to 19th on Richard Nixon's enemies list. He starred as a rebel in movies such as
Hud (1963),
Cool Hand Luke (1967), Nobody's Fool (1994) and
Where The Money Is (2000). Newman publicly supported Ned Lamont's candidacy in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic Primary against Senator Joe Lieberman, and was even rumored as a candidate himself until Lamont emerged as a credible alternative. He has donated to Chris Dodd's presidential campaign.
Newman married actress Joanne Woodward on January 29, 1958. They had three daughters: Elinor "Nell" Teresa (1959), Melissa "Lissy" Stewart (1961), and Claire "Clea" Olivia (1965). Newman and Woodward lived away from the Hollywood environment making their home laid back in Westport, Connecticut. Once when
asked about infidelity, he famously quipped:
"Why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home?"
Newman was scheduled to make his professional directorial stage debut with the Westport Country Playhouse's 2008 production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, but he stepped down on May 23, 2008,
citing health issues.
