Paul Newman

From KCpedia

Paul Newman

Paul Leonard Newman was born January 26, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Kenyon in 1949 and went on to become an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy award winning actor, director, and philanthropist. He has acted in over 60 films, and his food company, Newman's Own, which donates all profits to charity, has given over $200 million.

1 Background
2 Years at Kenyon
3 Before the Big Screen
4 Major Films
5 Work as a Director
6 Major Honors and Awards
- 6.1 Academy Awards
  - 6.1.1 Wins
  - 6.1.2 Nominations
- 6.2 Emmy Awards
  - 6.2.1 Wins
  - 6.2.2 Nominations
7 Retirement from Film
8 Philanthropic Work
9 Family
10 Further Involvement with Kenyon
11 Resources and Links

Background

Newman was the second son of Arthur S. Newman, a partner in a sporting goods store, and Theresa Fetzer. Though he claims that acting was not particularly important to him when he was young, he acted throughout his childhood and high school years. In 1942, he enlisted in the Navy, but was unable to pass the physical due to colorblindness. He instead worked in the Air Corps for three years as a radioman to submarine patrols and torpedo planes, not experiencing serious combat.

Years at Kenyon

Paul Newman at Kenyon

At Kenyon, Newman majored in drama and economics. He was also a member of the fraternity Alpha Delta Phi. He says he joined the Dramatic Club when he was kicked off the second-string football team after a bar fight. As former Drama professor James E. Michael quoted in Time magazine, he "ha[d] trouble not casting Paul as the lead in every play." During Newman's time at Kenyon, he held key roles in seven official Dramatic Club plays: "Rude Awakening," "The Front Page," "R.U.R," "Antigone," "Heartbreak House," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "Alchemist." He also worked as a director and a stage manager. Off the stage, Newman is known for operating a laundry business for Kenyon students, along with classmate James L. Rice of the class of 1951. In Kenyon's yearbook, the following was written about Newman: "Perennial T-Barracks master of ceremonies, itinerant laundryman, antagonist of roommates and proctors alike, author of musical review, leading actor in dramatic productions, host to innumerable parties and never one to miss the opportunity for a fast buck are just a few of Paul's endearing charms. Prone to getting out of hand on long and trying evenings."

Before the Big Screen

Before making it to Hollywood, Newman hit broadway, debuting in William Inge's original production of Picnic, opposite Kim Stanley. He also appeared in productions of The Desperate Hours and Sweet Bird of Youth.

Major Films

Newman's first movie was 1954's The Silver Chalice. He continued with memorable and acclaimed roles in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and The Young Philadelphians (1959). Moving into the 60s and 70s, Newman starred in Exodus (1960), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Harper (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Towering Inferno (1974), Slap Shot (1977) and The Verdict (1982). He also worked with director George Roy Hill and actor Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973).

Work as a Director

Harry and Son was the first movie in which Newman starred and directed. He went on to direct three more films (acting in none of them), starring his wife, Joanne Woodward. These were Rachel, Rachel (1968), Shadow Box (1980), and The Glass Menagerie (1987).

Major Honors and Awards

Academy Awards

Wins

Honorary Award (1986), for his "many and memorable and compelling screen performances"
Best Actor, The Color of Money (1986)
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (1994), for his charity work

Nominations

Best Actor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Best Actor, The Hustler (1961)
Best Actor, Hud (1963)
Best Actor, Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Best Picture, Rachel, Rachel (1968)
Best Actor, Absence of Malice (1981)
Best Actor, The Verdict (1982)
Best Actor, Nobody's Fool (1994)
Best Supporting Actor, Road to Perdition (2002)

Emmy Awards

Wins

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, Empire Falls (2005)

Nominations

Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a Special, The Shadow Box (1981)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, Our Town (2003)
Outstanding Miniseries, Empire Falls (2005)

Retirement from Film

Newman officially retired from acting on May 25, 2007, saying, "You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me."

Philanthropic Work

In 1982, along with writer A.E. Hotchner, Newman founded his own line of food products, Newman's Own. (The company began by selling salad dressing--Newman's own recipe.) All proceeds of his company, after taxes, are donated to charity--in total, his contribution is upwards of $200 million. Newman and Hotcher wrote a memoir about Newman's Own, called Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good (ISBN 0-385-50802-6). Newman is also known for cofounding a summer camp in Connecticut for seriously ill children, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (named after the gang in Newman's film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). There are now many Hole in the Wall Gang Camps in the United States, France, Ireland, and Israel, which each year serve over 13,000 children for free.

Family

Newman has been married twice, first to Jackie Witte, from 1949 to 1958, and currently to actress Joanne Woodward. With his first wife, Newman had three children: two daughters, Susan Kendall and Stephanie, and one son, Scott. In 1978, Scott was found dead of alcohol and drug overdose, after which Newman founded the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention. Susan is known as a documentary filmmaker, and produced Newman's telefilm The Shadow Box. On January 29, 1958, Newman and Joanne Woodward were married. Together they had three daughters: Elinor Teresa, Melissa Steward, and Claire "Clea" Olivia.

Further Involvement with Kenyon

Back to Direct C.C. Pyle and the Bunion Derby

In 1978, Newman returned to Kenyon to direct the first dramatic production in the newly-contructed Bolton Theater, Michael Cristofer's C.C. Pyle and the Bunion Derby. "It was a great experience being on the campus and spending time with the students," recounted Newman. "They were lively, interested, and, in some cases, very gifted." Continually providing generous financial support to the College, Newman and Woodward became the honorary campaign chairs of Kenyon's 1999 financial campaign, Claiming Our Place: The Campaign for Kenyon, and contributed $2 million toward the College's $100 million goal (the largest amounts toward the section of the campaign dedicated to the environment). "I owe Kenyon a great deal," he stated. "And I think that's true for a lot of us." On June 2, 2007, Newman donated $10 million dollars to Kenyon, establishing its largest-ever scholarship fund. "This fund ... is meant to be more than just a gift to a college," Newman explained. "I believe strongly that we should be doing whatever we can to make all higher education opportunities available to deserving students."

They established the Paul Newman Trophy and the Joanne Woodward Trophy as student prizes.