I doubt even Paul Newman could have predicted that one day his mug would be plastered on the front of salad dressing bottles and popcorn boxes.
But such is life as a one of the recognizable movie stars that has ever graced the silver screen.
And what a life it has been…
Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1925 and raised in the humble Midwest. What most people don’t realize about the legendary movie icon is that he was a hit on Broadway long before he made his first film. Newman’s debut on the big screen didn’t come until 1954 when he appeared in the ancient costume drama The Silver Chalice, which he once referred to as one of the worst movies of all time.
As the decades progressed Newman says his acting did so as well. The blue-eyed chisel-chinned hunk went on to star in a string of blockbusters from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Verdict, Road to Perdition and 1986’s The Color of Money, which earned him an Oscar. Newman’s most recent motion picture role earned him raves from a whole new generation of fans. In 2006 the movie star lent his distinctive voice to “Doc” Hudson in Disney-Pixar’s Cars.
Fans might remember that it was just a year ago that Newman announced he planned to retire from acting, saying on Good Morning America, “I’m not able to work anymore … at the level that I would want to.”
At that time Newman said he wanted to try his hand at directing select projects, but last month, officials at Connecticut’s Westport Country Playhouse cited unspecified health issues when they announced that Newman would be withdrawing as director Of Mice and Men this fall.
Besides acting and directing, Newman has been very verbal about two other great passions in his life–racecar driving and philanthropy.
The 83-year-old actor’s popular food company Newman’s Own – whose motto is, “Shameless exploitation for the common good” – reportedly began as a joke, but has since grown into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other organic foods.
The company’s profits go to Newman’s Own Foundation and are distributed to various charitable groups. According to the company’s website, Newman’s Own Foundation has contributed more than $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since l982.
Newman currently lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife of 50 years, The Three Faces of Eve Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward.