Some wealthy celebrities are praised when they give a way a few bicycles to kids, or hand out Thanksgiving turkeys. But Paul Newman, who died Friday, raised more than $220 million from his food company, Newman’s
Paul Newman: An Everyday Legend Own, and gave every dime of profit to charity. The color of money really didn’t make any difference to him.A sum of $250 million amounts to nearly $3 million for each of the 83 years that he walked the earth (and raced cars as well).Was any actor ever “less Hollywood” in how he presented himself? Paul Newman didn’t even hang out in Tinsel Town, at least not very often. He died at his longtime home in small town Westport, Connecticut.With any celebrities and entertainers, it is amazing how full of themselves that they can become. In fact, Paul Newman was viewed as being different – really really different – simply because he seemed normal. This is a great compliment to Paul Newman and to his spouse of 50 years, Joanne Woodward. But on the other hand, it offers sort of a sad commentary on the overall state of American celebrity life.Paul Newman had a fantastic, if sly, sense of humor. He was born to a Jewish mother and Catholic father, and while he practiced Christian Science, he still would describe himself as Jewish because “it’s more of a challenge. And of course, when he founded Newman’s Own with writer A.E. Hotchner in 1982, he famously described it as “Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good. Among other awards, Newman co-sponsors the PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award.”Well, it’s far from shameless to create a “Hole in the Wall” camp experience each year for children with life-threatening illnesses, or to contribute $10 million to Kenyon College, or to give $250,000 to Kosovo refugees.Some of the major macho actors in Hollywood, such as Ronald Reagan and John Wayne, never served in military combat, but Paul Newman did his duty in the Pacific theater during World War II, in the U.S. Navy.No doubt there will be much Paul Newman nostalgia during the days ahead. All is deserved. Paul Newman, in the end, was simply a good man.SOURCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newmanwww.newmansown.com
Paul Newman: An Everyday Legend
Paul Newman Dead at Age 83: A Sad Loss
Paul Newman Has Always Been One of My Favorite Actors, Especially After He Responded to a Charitable Donation RequestSad news today as CNN, Reuters and the BBC report that Paul Newman, the legendary Hollywood actor, has died at age 83. He died on Friday, September 26th 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He died at home.Paul Newman was always my favorite actor. This status was cemented forever when I was organizing a charity auction to benefit AIDS charities in Dallas, Texas and I wrote to Mr. Newman asking for an item donation to auction. Out of over 300
celebrities, he and his wife, Joanne Woodward, were the first Hollywood actors to respond to my letter. They sent a beautiful pewter beer mug and autographed photographs and wished us good luck with our event. For the next three years, every time I asked them to donate for that year’s auction there seemed to be no hesitation as a donation arrived quickly in the mail.Paul Newman, over a career spanning more than 50 years, made almost 100 movies and appeared in numerous TV movies and shows. He was best known though for movie roles in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, “The Verdict” and “The Sting”. My favorite Paul Newman movie role though was “Sully” in the 1994 movie “Nobody’s Fool’. Newman played an aging loser who works in a construction company part-time and spends his time driving the owner of the company crazy by flirting with his wife and trying to ruin his business. He also has problems with his relationships with his son and grandson and, at one point, even gets jailed for hitting a policeman. But, in the end, his luck changes, he wins the lottery, mends his relationship with his son and Sully finally realizes he’s happy. This is one of Newman’s greatest roles and it earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.Not only was Paul Newman one of the world’s best actors though, he was also known as a race car driver and the owner of “Newman’s Own”, a company that sells spaghetti sauce, salad dressing and popcorn among other things. The great thing about “Newman’s Own” is that all their profits (around $175 million so far) have been donated to children’s charities.
At the Age of 83, Great Actor Paul Newman Dies of Cancer
Paul Newman Passed Away in Westport, Connecticut After a Long Battle with CancerPaul Newman, one of the greatest actors of our time, has passed away at the age of 83. Newman had been fighting a continued battle with cancer, and had gone back to his home in Westport, Connecticut. This is where he was when he died on Friday, taking away one of Hollywood’s greats.Newman has been one of those iconic type actors, where he was always bigger than the films he was in, always bringing with him a certain charisma and charm that simply jumped off the screen. He became quite famous in the 1950′s, and then put out huge hits like The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting. Along the way he achieved a lot of box office success, and with that cam numerous nominations and successes for cinematic awards. At the end of his career he was moving behind the directors chair, but could also be heard as the voice of characters in such films as Pixar’s Cars, where he played the old Hudson Hornet.His career spanned many years, attaining him nominations for Oscars as best actor in Nobody’s Fool, The Color of Money, The Verdict, Absence of Malice, Cool Hand Look, Hud, The Hustler, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also took home a Best Supporting Actor Nomination for his role in the Tom Hanks vehicle Road to Perdition. He only one one award though, taking home the 1987 Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his part in The Color of Money. It didn’t tarnish his reputation as a leading man to only take home one Oscar though, as his body of work really stands up there with the best actors we have seen grace the screen.
Paul Newman: A Tribute to the Larger Than Life Legend
We Love You Paul Newman. Thank You for Sharing Your LifeIt is reported that Paul Newman, while battling cancer, returned to his Connecticut home to spend his last days of life with his wife, Joanne Woodward and his children. I pray for their strength and courage as I remember Paul Newman, my favorite actor of all time.Paul Leonard Newman made his first movie, The Silver Chalice in 1954, two years before I was born. Newman actually apologized for how bad the movie was, but in 1956 Newman redeemed himself in Somebody Up There Likes Me. I cannot recall how many times I have seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Color of Money or the countless other Paul Newman movies in my lifetime. There has not been another gorgeous hunk of an acting team like Paul Newman and Robert Redford in my lifetime. I love Paul Newman not just because he is one of the greatest actors of my generation, but also because Newman is the extraordinary example of life, love, family, and generosity that all people should aspire to be. I love Paul Newman’s sense of humor as shown in his quotes about life, humor and his marriage to Joanne Woodward.My Favorite Paul Newman QuotesAbout infidelity: “Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?”About successful marriage to Joanne: “I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor. You don’t want any woman to look under the carpet, guys, because there’s lots of flaws underneath. Joanne believes my character in a film we did together, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Bridge’ comes closest to who I really am. I personally don’t think there’s one character who comes close . . . but I learned a long time ago not to disagree on things that I don’t have a solid opinion about.” Later, Newman answered the same question yet again by saying, “I don’t know what she puts in my food”.About his Newman’s Own: “Once you’ve seen your face on a bottle of salad dressing, it’s hard to take yourself seriously.” “The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films.” “You can only put away so much stuff in your closet.”
Paul Newman Said to Have Cancer, Wanting to Die at Home with Family
Cool Hand Luke Star Said to Have Just Weeks Left to LiveFox News reported earlier this week that Oscar winning actor Paul Newman has cancer. The Fox report went on to say that Paul Newman has just a few weeks left to live and has started to get his affairs in order, including readying his oldest, Nell, to take the reins of Newman’s Own.
Paul Newman Said to Have Cancer, Wanting to Die at Home with Family Paul Newman is 83 years old. While Paul Newman’s Oscar win was for 1986′s The Color of Money, I know him best as Luke in 1967′s Cool Hand Luke. Cool Hand Luke is probably my most favorite movie of all time and my husband can testify that I could watch it over and over again like a child. I was so glad to find a friend in college who felt the same way about Cool Hand Luke. We would watch the movie then spout out our favorite movie quotes, such as when the mean warden proclaimed: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate”, “No one can eat 50 eggs”, and of course, one of my favorites, spoken by Paul Newman, “Shaking the tree boss!” when he is making his escape by cleverly shaking the tree with a long string while the “Boss” thinks that he is going to the bathroom in the brush. I think this movie clicked with me because Luke was not a conformer. He had a free spirit and could not be held down by the rules put upon him. Cool Hand Luke is typical of the non-conformist nature of the late 1960s. The “No one can eat 50 eggs” comment just spurred Luke to do it because they said it couldn’t be done, and sure enough, though half comatose when done, Luke downed 50 eggs. I can still picture the way Paul Newman looked on screen when he finished that last egg. Luke’s antics boosted the morale for his prison mates and gave them something to take their mind off their misery.Cool Hand Luke highlights just how unfair life can be. Imagine being sentenced to a chain gang work prison just for taking the heads off parking meters when you were drunk? Anyone these days would be sentenced to ARD or community service. Luke’s mother is close to death in the movie, and rather than the warden having compassion, he sticks Luke in the box in case he might want to run and be with her when she died.
Paul Newman: American Hero for Creating Newman’s Own that Funds Camps for Kids with Cancer
Paul Newman is a movie star and a hero too. America greatly admires his acting skills but dare I say it he may have achieved even more acclaim as an American Hero. Paul Newman, with his friend AE Hotchner, started the food empire Newman’s Own that has donated over $ 200 million dollars
to provide camps in America and abroad for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. Paul Newman also uses the profits from his company for philanthropic donations to over 2,000 other worthy causes. Newman’s Own donates all after tax profits to charity. Paul Newman is a hero and a role model for the younger generations. Newman’s company sells his brand of salad dressing, pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, salsa, steak sauce, and wine. For me it just isn’t summer without his lemonade and the balsamic vinaigrette dressing for salads. I love buying a product that tastes great and whose profits are donated to help kids. I also laugh at the whimsical labels with a drawing of Paul Newman’s face on the products such as the salad dressing and pasta sauce. It feels great to use products that help good deeds occur. Paul Newman turned his business idea into a success and donated the profits to help others. He is a true hero. Kudos to Paul Newman and AE Hotchner; they found the time and energy to create an empire that has helped untold numbers of children in America and abroad. The first product sold, salad dressing, was marketed at Stew Leonard’s grocery store in Norwalk, CT. If you are near this area the store is worth a visit. It is a unique shopping experience. There are a lot of entertainment features built into the store. When I lived in Norwalk it was the only place I shopped for groceries. A friend and I used to shop there together after work and laugh endlessly at the whimsical displays in the store. We also loved the vegetarian chili ! Paul Newman is not only a hero he seems like a down to earth guy. When I lived in CT a friend lived in the same town he did and she told me she would see him shopping in the farm market. Despite my frequent forays to that nearby town I never did see him.
Gift Ideas for Paul Newman Fans
Brilliant actor. Race car Driver. Philanthropist. These are just a few of the terms used to describe Paul Newman. From his early days as a rebel with a heart of gold on the silver screen to his later years as the ultra successful creator of the “Newman’s Own” food product line, Paul
Newman has lived a varied and private life. Happily married to actress Joanne Woodward for decades, even in his heyday as one of the most sought after actors, Paul Newman managed to keep his private life out of the public eye. Read this article for gift ideas for fans of Paul Newman.Gift Ideas For Paul Newman Fans: “Cool Hand Luke” DVD. This 1967 has long been considered one of Paul Newman’s most notable and outstanding acting performances. As a chain gang prisoner who refuses to quietly conform to his new circumstances, this movie showcases Paul Newman at his very best. Containing the very famous and often referred to “hard boiled egg” eating contest and also starring George Kennedy, this DVD is a must have for Paul Newman fans. Gift Ideas For Paul Newman Fans: “The Films Of Paul Newman – The Verdict/The Hustler/Butch Cassidy” This three DVD box set will surely delight your gift recipient. With co stars such as Jackie Gleason, Jack Warden, and James Mason, this fantastic box set provides your Paul Newman fan with three hundred and seventy four minutes of viewing pleasure.Gift Ideas For Paul Newman Fans: “Paul Newman: A Life In Pictures” By Pierre Henri Verlhac and Yann Brice Dnerbler. What a treat for Paul Newman fans! This beautiful two hundred and eight book contains rare photographs of the actor from his earliest days in Hollywood to his later years after he stepped back from the spotlight and concentrated on his charity work. This fantastic coffee table book also contains a very detailed biography of the very versatile man.
Deep Inside the Hollywood Closet: Rumor Mill Implicates Paul Newman, Robert Wagner & Other Big Stars
Natalie Wood Reportedly Found Her Husband “R.J.” With Another Man the Night She DiedJodie Foster’s public admission of her love for another woman marked a watershed in the life of the two-time Oscar-winning actress, if not in the popular culture at large. Many gay and bisexual celebrities remain deep in “The Closet” to avoid prejudice, which they feel may hurt their
careers. A perusal of the Internet reveals an abundance of gay-themed Hollywood and celebrity gossip sites with the “theme” of outing closeted celebrities. Here are some of the rumors, which not surprisingly are, circular, implicating the same people less than by actual “guilt” than by association:Paul Newman and Gore Vidal shared the Three-Faced Eve, Joanne Woodward, in the late 1950s, living as a happy threesome for a while. Paul and Gore remained close throughout the ’60s, until Gore’s live-in “husband” got him to vamoose for Italy and away from the sultry arms of the box-office star.Paul took Robert Wagner as a lover sometime in the early 1960s, after Wagner was dumped by his wife Natalie Wood. In turn, Newman dumped “Babs” (Wagner’s nickname given to him by the denizens of the New York transvestite demimonde he loved to flock with) in the late ’60s, after New Blue Eyes became the top box office star in America (1968-70, ranking #1 twice). His disdain for Babs’ TV career bled over into Newman’s relations with rival (on the queen scene) James Garner. The two eyed each other warily, but nothing came of that. They later co-starred in one of Newman’s last films, Twilight, when neither had anything more to prove.Chuck Connors and Ernest Borgnine ran in different circles; they were not A-list. Babs Wagner dropped off the A-list into the B-list dominated by TV personalities and tired old queens sometime in the late ’60s (it would have been sooner but for Newman’s “patronage”). James Garner “straddled” both lists. Out-and-out queens like Rock Hudson were a universe unto themselves, socializing with the Nancy Reagans and other noveau riche.
A Decade by Decade Look at the Career of Paul Newman – Retiring at 82
Paul Newman announced last week that, at the age of 82, he is retiring from film work after a career spanning over 50 years with 40+ films. He has been nominated 9 times for Academy Awards (8 for acting and
1 for producing) finally winning on his 7th try. He will continue with his auto racing and food product production but felt that film work was too demanding, especially trying to remember his lines. There have long been rumors that Robert Redford had finally found a project for the two of them but apparently a rumor was all it was and movie lovers will be left wondering what if?If Newman does indeed hold to his retirement announcement then his last movie was the animated hit “Cars” from last summer. His last on screen performance was the HBO mini-series “Empire Falls” and his last big screen performance was 2002′s “Road To Perdition.”I can’t imagine a movie world where movie lovers can’t look forward to a new Paul Newman movie but its better he go out while he can and not be forced to due to illness or worse. I wanted to take a look back at his long and storied career with all the highs befitting his immense talent and all the lows befitting an actor working for money or simply choosing poorly.1950′s – Newman’s film debut came in 1954′s “The Silver Chalice,” a film so bad that Newman would later take out a newspaper ad apologizing and advising fans to never watch it. His next film got him his first real notices as boxer Rocky Graciano in “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” His next few films (The Rack; The Helen Morgan Story; Until They Sail) provided Newman with good roles that were little seen. 1958 saw the release of “The Long Hot Summer” and “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” and the success of both films made Newman a movie star. He finished the decade with the forgettable “Rally Round the Flag, Boys” and the inspired “The Young Philadelphians.”
Paul Newman Donates $10 Million to Kenyon College
Kenyon College announced on Saturday that alumnus and actor Paul Newman has donated $10 million for a scholarship fund. Newman attended Kenyon and graduated in 1949 with a degree in drama and economics. Newman was urged along with his wife Joanne Woodward to make their large donation to Kenyon public to encourage other alumni to give to other scholarship funds. The donation will help in creating a rolling fund to provide partial and full scholarships for 15 to 20 students yearly. The
Paul Newman Donates $10 Million to Kenyon College first of the Newman’s Own scholarships will be handed out in the up coming academic year. According to the Associated Press, after looking back on his career of over 50 years Newman stated, “My days there [Kenyon College] were among the happiest and most formative of my life. I believe strongly that we should be doing whatever we can to make all higher education opportunities available to deserving students. I hope others will support Kenyon in this manner.” In addition to this most recent gift, Newman is also well known for the over $175 million he has contributed to various charities, including his own Hole in the Wall camps for children with cancer and other life-threatening illness. Newman’s Own stands out among other business because it sees no profits after cost and other taxable responsibilities are met. Paul Newman’s career began in early 1950s with small television roles and later grew into movie roles due to his captivating style. In 1958 he met his future wife Joanne Woodward on the set of “The Long, Hot Summer” acting opposite her and Orson Welles. Newman received his first Oscar nomination in 1959 for his portrayal of Brick Pollitt in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” His career continued with 6 more Oscar nominations until his first win in 1987 for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “The Color of Money.” Since then he gone back to his first love of the stage and has helped in many acting studios for young and upcoming actors.
Actor Debate – Steve McQueen Vs. Paul Newman – Part One
Big Screen Giants, but There Can Be Only OneAs two of the finest American actors of all-time, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman dominated the often underrated classic films of the 1960’s and eventually starred together in the 1974 disaster picture The Tower Inferno. After the Inferno, McQueen who battled cancer, only made a few
more films, with Tom Horn his final role before his 1980 death. Although Newman is still alive and kicking, his glory days seemed to end when the 1980’s hit and although he has starred in many films none of them have come close to his performances in the prime of his career.So this brings us to our first in a series debates pitting actors versus actors, McQueen versus Newman, with a focus on what we consider the prime of their careers, 1958 (the year Newman broke out in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) to 1974 (when the two shared the screen in The Towering Inferno). Co-writer Pat Harrington will be taking the side of Newman, while I (Guy Stuller) will be defending McQueen on the matter. In the timeframe we are debating, who made the better films and how much influence did each actor have in making those films great? PH – I would argue that Newman made better films in the aforementioned timeframe based on the titles that still stand head and shoulders above most films made in the era. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof was only the beginning of a brilliant 16-year span that included such classic films as “The Long, Hot Summer,” “The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Hombre,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Sting” and “The Towering Inferno.”