Paul Newman: A Biography of the Legendary Actor

By Andrew Cooper

He was a mediocre student and early on in his career sold encyclopedias for a living. Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, he joined the navy during World War II but returned to his love for acting which was instilled in him by his mother. Initially landing Broadway roles, he later moved to Hollywood where his life changed. During his career, he was an 8-time Oscar nominee, a generous philanthropist, a highly successful entrepreneur and an unpretentious man who was absolutely devoted to his family and the craft of acting. Today, we know him as Paul Newman and this is his story.

 

Anyone who watched him act would be captivated by the authenticity of his performances. And yet he did not have an ounce of conceit in him. People loved and admired him for his rigor and discipline. However, his success was not without challenges. He was diagnosed with colorblindness early on in life, had to leave his first wife when he fell in love with Joanne Woodward, and lost his only son, Scott Newman, to drug overdose.

 

His story is that of perseverance and triumph against all odds. During his lifetime, he won many awards and, In 1987, won the Oscar for his performance in The Color of Money. And still, nothing seemed to slow him down. Come and find out who was this larger than life persona who charmed and inspired a whole new generation.

 

Here's a preview of what you'll discover in this book:

• Paul Newman's early childhood, family life, and education
• His journey to Yale University and life there
• Landing his early roles as a theatre actor
• Moving to Hollywood and rise as a method actor
• The onslaught of fame and fortune which would kiss his feet
• Falling head over heels in love with Joanne Woodward
• The tragic death of his son and the vacuum that left in him
• Moving on with his life and coming back even stronger
• Unleashing his best work and foray into philanthropy
• His death and the legacy he left behind
• ….. And much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MG Publishing
• Release date: Dec 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393106555

Book preview

Paul Newman

A Biography of the Legendary Actor

Andrew Cooper

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Childhood in Shaker Heights, Ohio

World War II

After the War, a Focus on Theater

New York Theater Calls

The Silver Chalice (1954)

Rocky Graziano

The Long Hot Summer (1958) with Joanne

Moving Away from Typecasting

Rebels Without a Cause?

Paul Newman: Political Activist

Butch and Sundance

Newman’s Introduction to Racing

First Artists

The Sting (1973)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Working with Robert Altman

The Life and Death of Scott Newman

Champion Race Car Driver

Newman’s Own

Newman in the 1980s

The Return of Fast Eddie Felson

Newman the Actor and Newman the Director

The Transformation of Paul Newman’s Racing Career

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Newman’s Films in the 1990s and Beyond

Cars (2006)

Newman’s Own Foundation’s Continuing Work

Charity Beyond Newman’s Own Foundation

Philanthropic Awards

One Last Lap

Conclusion

Introduction

For well over 50 years Paul Newman was a cultural icon, a movie star and film director, a champion race car driver who earned his place among other professional racers, a famously devoted husband, a lauded philanthropist, and fairly consistently considered one of the best-looking men in the world.  So much fuss was made about his piercing blue eyes that he once joked he would die a failure if his eyes should ever turn brown. 

Coming into the Hollywood spotlight with the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean in a new era of film stardom, Newman was a different breed of performer, one of the new method actors.  Newman preferred to take on challenging and unusual parts that would test the limits of his abilities rather than opt for easy leading-man roles that only capitalized on his good looks and charm.  Many of his movies are now considered classics. 

In an industry where marriages seldom survive, he was married to actress Joanne Woodward for 50 years. What’s more, his charitable foundation, based on the profits from his line of Newman’s Own products, continues to donate millions of dollars each year to Newman’s SeriousFun organization, which focuses on summer camps and outreach programs for sick children and their families. 

But Paul Newman was not easy to know. He shied away from the paparazzi and photographers and was seldom happy to be interviewed, even limiting his appearances to promote his own films. He didn’t like the press and wasn’t comfortable speaking with them, and he certainly didn’t like photographers either. Though the Hollywood gossip machine was frequently prone to spread rumors about troubles in his marriage to Joanne (periodically, they would be accused of being on the verge of divorce) the couple maintains that this was never true.  There even came a point when they took out a prank ad promising to get a divorce to satisfy the reporters even though they still liked each other.

Newman kept his private life very private indeed, living his family life in a small Connecticut town rather than in Hollywood. Being a sex symbol or a superstar meant nothing to him except as a

Reviews for Paul Newman

[Caroline Erstwhile · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Obviously self published. No pictures, no interviews. Basically an encylcopedia essay with little analysis. Gets the job done.