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Vale: Paul Newman

Hollywood heartthrob Paul "blue eyes" Newman has died, aged 83. He began his career in television roles, and returned to the medium in his final years.

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Actor Paul Newman has died after a battle with cancer. He was 83.

With a career spanning generations, Newman was a giant of Hollywood’s golden era, nominated for ten Oscars, and known diversely as an actor, film director, entrepreneur, race car driver, racing team owner and humanitarian.

He died at his long-time home in Westport, Connecticut.

He retired from acting in 2006 after a 50-year career that included Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1971), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Cool Hand Luke (1967) The Towering Inferno (1974). “Blue eyes” Newman combined heartthrob looks, a dedicated and evolving Method Acting style, good taste in material and collaborators, and a real sense of the cultural climate.

Newman’s early career began in television roles including Tales of Tomorrow, Goodyear Television Playhouse, The United States Steel Hour, and Playhouse 90. His final roles included acting in, and producing, the television miniseries Empire Falls, directed by Australian Fred Schepsi  -he won the Emmy, Golden Globe and a SAG award for his performance. Newman ended his professional career with voice work for the film Cars (which ironically screened in Australia on Channel Seven, the day of his death) and narrating the NASCAR documentary, Dale.

Newman entered movies as one of the last Hollywood contract players and then became one of the first independent superstars, commanding more than $1 million per film as early as the mid-1960s.

In 1980 Newman began to bottle his famous homemade salad dressing and sell it with the intent of making a few dollars for charity. All of the products featured Newman’s face on the label, accompanied by comical text describing the product often written by Newman himself. As of the most recent tallies, it has been estimated his charities have given away more than $240 million.

Newman married actress Joanne Woodward in 1958, beginning one of the most storied and longest-lasting marriages in the history of Hollywood.

In June 2008 it was widely reported that Newman, a former chain smoker, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. In August, he reportedly finished chemotherapy and had told his family he wished to die at home.

Age 78, Woodward survives him along with his five daughters and two grandchildren.

Sources: Oregon Live, Wikipedia, IMDb

5 Responses

  1. Yeah a really great man, fine actor and decent human being, the actors of today could learn a heck of a lot from Paul.

    RIP Cool Hand Luke! I’ll always remember plastic jesus!

  2. Paul Newman was my all-time favourite actor and even though I knew this day would come, it still hurts.

    Thoughts and prayers go out to Joanne, their family and friends.

    He’ll be sorely missed in this world. But at least he’s finally at peace.

    RIP Paul.

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