Paul Newman is a legendary actor who was rightly called one of the pillars of Hollywood. During his life he managed to star in a mass of wonderful films, which to this day are considered masterpieces of world cinema. He also made his debut as a director, was actively involved in charity work and participated in car races. But not all fans of the famous actor know that the path to fame was not so easy.
Paul Newman: biography and childhood
The
famous actor was born in Cleveland
(Ohio) on January 26, 1925. His family was of simple origin - the Slovak mother, Theresa, and Jewish father Arthur Samuel owned a small business selling sports goods.
From a young age, the boy was thorough and purposeful. During the Second World War he served in the Navy, and at its end he returned home safe and sound. After the death of his father, Paul Newman inherited a store and began to do business.
First career steps
Despite the fact that the business brought good income, Paul still did not forget about the dream of becoming an artist. That is why in 1947 he sold out part of the property and entered the School of Acting at Yale University.
It should be noted that the path to success began with the series in which Paul starred from 1952 to 1958. In addition, he participated in productions on Broadway. In 1954, the first film with the participation of the actor appeared on the screens - “Silver Bowl”. This picture was not very popular and was criticized. The actor himself later called her the worst job in his career.
“Someone up there loves me” and long-awaited success
Success came to the young actor completely unexpectedly. In 1956, he managed to get a casting for the main role in the film “Someone Upstairs Loves Me”. Initially, they planned to give it to
James Dean, but in connection with the untimely death of a talented actor, the place remained vacant.
This partially biographical picture tells the success story of boxer Rocky Graziano, whose role went to Paul Newman. He perfectly played a teenager from a dysfunctional family who went through prison, deserted from the army and became a famous boxer.
Paul Newman: filmography
After the film about Rocky, the actor literally woke up famous. In 1958, he was offered the next main role in the film "A Long, Hot Summer."
Here he brilliantly played Ben Quick - a simple guy, expelled from his own house. By the way, his partner was Joan Woodward. After this picture, the whole country already knew who Paul Newman was. Films with his participation were very popular among viewers.
In the same year, 1958, another famous painting appeared, entitled “Cat on a Hot Roof,” where Paul Newman played with Elizabeth Taylor. Here, the actor got the role of Brick Pollit.
In 1963, the film “Had” was released, where the actor successfully played Had Bannon - a cynical reveler and a scorched cuticle who is waiting for his father to die in order to inherit the ranch. This film received the best reviews from critics. And in 1966, Paul showed himself perfectly in the movie "Torn Curtain" by Alfred Hitchcock. In 1967, the film “Cold-blooded Luke” was released, in which the actor, naturally, got the main role.
The next film, which received a lot of awards and positive reviews, was released in 1968. The plot of the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was based on real events, and the actors Newman and Redford became the most memorable couple in the history of cinema. This story about the famous bandits of the Wild West has become a real legend.
By the way, in 1973, another picture appeared on the screen called "Scam", where Redford and Paul Newman starred. The music from this film is probably familiar to everyone, and the film itself is considered one of the most successful in the entire career of a popular actor.
Naturally, there is much more work with Paul. This is Quintet (1979), When Time Passes (1980), Without Malice (1981), Harry and Son (1984), Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990), Without Fools ( 1994), “Message in a Bottle” (1999), “The Cursed Path” (2002).
Director's work
After success in the movie, actor Paul Newman began to think about a director's career. Many people in those days joked that Paul decided to create his first film only to give work to his wife Joan, who rarely came across really bright works.
In 1968, Paul released his first film, entitled "Rachel, Rachel," where Joan Woodward got the lead role of an unmarried and unhappy school teacher. To Newman's surprise, the film received a lot of positive reviews, two Golden Globe awards and four Oscar nominations.
In 1972, Paul released a new film, “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Daisy Behavior,” which was played not only by his wife Joan, but also by their daughter Nell Potts. This film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and Woodward received an award for Best Actress.
In 1984, another picture appeared, entitled “Harry and Son,” which tells the story of the difficult and complex relationship between the simple worker Harry and his son Howard. The 1987 Glass Menagerie also received many awards and positive reviews, including Golden Globe and Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.
The personal life of the actor
It's no secret that Paul Newman was very popular among women. His "blue eyes in the history of cinema", as well as neat features and sculptured muscles drove the fair sex on both sides of the ocean crazy.
The actor started a family at a young age - in 1949 he married Jackie Newman, who bore him three children. Perhaps they could stay together until the end of their lives, but the actor constantly traveled and met new people.
During the filming of the film “A Long, Hot Summer,” the young actor met the talented actress Joan Woodward, who dramatically changed his life. It was true love. And although cheating was not considered rare events in the acting community, Paul's decision to break up with his wife provoked a negative reaction from the public and fans. However, in 1958, the actor managed to divorce his first wife.
Since then, Paul Newman and Joan Woodward have become a true legend. Inseparable lovers stayed together for fifty years, until the death of the famous actor. Their tender and reverent relations delighted the public. And to his particularly persistent fans, Paul reported that he was “hopelessly and hopelessly married.” By the way, the star of the couple had three daughters.
Unfortunately, the divorce of parents was a real stress for Scott - the son of Paul from his first marriage. Severe depression, drug addiction, death from an overdose - this was a real tragedy for Newman, which was reflected in his future activities.
Charity and Political Activities
Throughout his career, Paul Newman (photos of the actor are presented in the article) actively worked on completely different projects. In particular, after the tragic death of his son, he founded a charitable organization to combat drug dependence, in the development of which he invested more than twenty million dollars. He founded an entire business network, the work of which to this day ensures the existence of a number of assistance and rehabilitation centers.
In many interviews, the actor mentioned that his brilliant career is the result of constant hard work, because from childhood he suffered from dyslexia. Several times he enjoyed his popularity with good intentions. For example, in the 1960s, he organized and campaigned in support of the Democratic Party's campaign, which was aimed at combating racial prejudice in the United States. By the way, for this Newman entered the famous list of personal enemies of President Nixon.
Later, Paul managed to once again use his acting achievements and audience appreciation. This time he advocated the reduction of nuclear weapons and selflessly urged the governments of different countries to establish close control over the production of weapons of mass destruction.
Racing
It's no secret that the famous Paul Newman was interested in motorsport and even took part in races. This became his hobby and an opportunity to take a break from heavy filming everyday life. He first became interested in this sport in 1969, while working on the film "Winners".
And for the first time to participate in professional races he had a chance in 1972. Many people also know that in 1979 the actor took part in the famous 24-hour race at Le Mans, where he came to the finish line second.
In 1983, he even founded his own racing team, and Karl Haas became a partner. In 1995, Paul (at that time he was already 70 years old) participated in the 24-hour race in Detroit, in which his team won. By the way, it was a kind of record, since groups with such elderly participants rarely won.
The death of the famous actor
In June 2008, the famous artist was diagnosed with lung cancer. And a few months later, on September 26, 2008, he died in his own home in Wesport, Connecticut.
Paul Newman became a human legend. During his career, he received a lot of prestigious awards - three times became the winner of the Golden Globe, and in 1987 he received the coveted Oscar statuette (by the way, he was nominated for this award ten times, and in eight cases he was nominated for best male role) . And, of course, Newman was awarded dozens of different prizes dozens of times.