Paul Leonard Newman was one of the most iconic figures in American cinema, renowned not only for his striking blue eyes and charismatic screen presence but also for his integrity, activism, and humanitarian work. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he became a symbol of classic Hollywood stardom while remaining deeply committed to social causes and personal passions beyond acting.

Paul Leonard Newman was born on 26 January 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the son of a family that owned a sporting goods store, which became the family’s livelihood after he lost his father at a young age. Before his military service, Newman attended Ohio University. After completing his service, he graduated from the Yale University School of Drama and immediately stepped into the world of theatre on Broadway.

In 1953, Newman appeared in William Inge’s production Picnic, followed by original Broadway plays such as The Desperate Hours and Sweet Bird of Youth. Many years later, in 2003, he returned to Broadway to perform in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to the stage.

In 1943, Newman volunteered for service during World War II and served in the United States Navy. Although he aspired to become a pilot, color blindness prevented him from doing so. Instead, he served as a radioman and rear gunner aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific for three years. After returning from the war in 1947, he met actress Jacqueline Witte, and they married the same year. The sporting goods store inherited from his father supported the young couple until Newman decided to pursue acting full-time, transferring ownership of the store and enrolling at Yale’s Drama School in New York.

His breakthrough came after attracting attention in the stage production of Picnic, which led to his first film contract with Warner Brothers. In 1954, he made his cinematic debut in The Silver Chalice. His career reached a major milestone in 1958 when he starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a film that received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor.

Two films in particular elevated Newman to legendary status: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), directed by George Roy Hill and co-starring Robert Redford, and The Sting (1973), which reunited the same team and became one of the most celebrated films of its era.

Beyond acting, Paul Leonard Newman had an extraordinary passion for automobile racing. He began racing competitively at the age of 47 and achieved remarkable success. At 54, he finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Rolf Stommelen, driving a Porsche. In 1983, he co-founded the Champ Car racing team with Carl Haas. Newman continued racing and winning championships with this team and remarkably remained active in motorsports even into his eighties.

In 1986, Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance opposite Tom Cruise in The Color of Money, finally receiving competitive Oscar recognition after decades of acclaimed performances.

Throughout his career, Newman frequently acted alongside his second wife, Joanne Woodward, in films such as The Long, Hot Summer (1958), Paris Blues (1961), Winning (1969), The Drowning Pool (1975), Harry & Son (1984), and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990).

Marriages:
1st marriage: Paul Leonard Newman married actress Jackie Witte on 27 December 1949. They divorced on 28 January 1958. They had three children: a son, Scott Newman (born 1950), and two daughters, Susan Kendall Newman (born 1953) and Stephanie Newman.
2nd marriage: He married actress Joanne Woodward on 29 January 1958. They had three daughters: Elinor “Nell” Teresa Newman (born 1959), Melissa “Lissy” Stewart Newman (born 1961), and Claire “Clea” Olivia Newman (born 1965).

Known for his radical and oppositional stance, Newman actively supported numerous civil rights and freedom movements from the 1960s onward, both personally and financially. He famously expressed pride in being listed as number 19 on President Richard Nixon’s “enemies list.” His love of food and culinary experimentation led to the creation of the Newman’s Own brand, through which he donated approximately $200 million in profits to charities supporting children with cancer.

A heavy smoker for much of his life, Paul Leonard Newman ultimately succumbed to lung cancer. He passed away on 26 September 2008 at the age of 83 in New Haven, Connecticut. With his deep blue eyes, remarkable talent, racing achievements, and lifelong generosity, he remains an enduring symbol of integrity and excellence.

Films:
1954 – The Silver Chalice
1956 – Somebody Up There Likes Me
1956 – The Rack
1957 – The Helen Morgan Story
1957 – Until They Sail
1958 – The Long, Hot Summer
1958 – The Left Handed Gun
1958 – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1958 – Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
1959 – The Young Philadelphians
1960 – From the Terrace
1960 – Exodus
1961 – The Hustler
1961 – Paris Blues
1962 – Sweet Bird of Youth
1962 – Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1963 – Hud
1963 – A New Kind of Love
1963 – The Prize
1964 – What a Way to Go!
1964 – The Outrage
1965 – Lady L
1966 – Harper
1966 – Torn Curtain
1967 – Hombre
1967 – Cool Hand Luke
1968 – The Secret War of Harry Frigg
1969 – Winning
1969 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1970 – WUSA
1971 – Sometimes a Great Notion
1972 – Pocket Money
1972 – The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
1973 – The Mackintosh Man
1973 – The Sting
1974 – The Towering Inferno
1975 – The Drowning Pool
1976 – Buffalo Bill and the Indians
1977 – Slap Shot
1979 – Quintet
1980 – When Time Ran Out...
1981 – Fort Apache, The Bronx
1981 – Absence of Malice
1982 – The Verdict
1984 – Harry & Son
1986 – The Color of Money
1989 – Fat Man and Little Boy
1989 – Blaze
1990 – Mr. and Mrs. Bridge
1993 – La Classe américaine
1994 – The Hudsucker Proxy
1994 – Nobody’s Fool
1998 – Twilight
1999 – Message in a Bottle
2000 – Where the Money Is
2002 – Road to Perdition
2003 – Our Town
2005 – Empire Falls
2006 – Cars
2007 – Dale

Source: Biyografiler.com