Fans around the world mourned when Hollywood Golden Age acting legend Paul Newman passed away on September 26, 2008.
Paul, who was once a sex symbol and won over women with his charm and blue eyes, was born on January 26, 1925 in the American city of Shaker Heights as the second son of Slovak mother Teresa Garth and father of Hungarian-Polish origin Arthur Sigmund Newman. His dad was a Jew and later the actor himself declared himself that way when asked about his faith, and he ran a sports equipment store where Paul's mother also worked.
The actor showed interest in theater early on and played his first role at the age of seven. He played a court madman in a school production by Robin Hood. After graduating from high school in 1943, Paul briefly went to college in Ohio. Newman served in World War II at the Pacific Theater because he first started training to be a pilot at Yale University, but it was discovered that he is colorblind, that is, he does not see colors. He was trained as a radio operator, and fortunately survived the attack in Bunker Hill, while a large part of his unit was killed.
After the war, Paul received a degree in drama and economics from Canyon University in Gamabier, and his colleague was Olof Palme, the former Swedish prime minister. He later joined the traveling theater. Because of his acting career, Newman moved from New York to Los Angeles, that is, Hollywood with his first wife Jackie White.
In the early 50's, he auditioned for the film "East of Paradise", but he lost the role due to a handsome actor six years younger. It was about the famous James Dean who died in a car accident before the movie came out. After his death, Paul was given roles in the films “The Left Handed Gun” and “Somebody Up There Likes Me” to be played by Dean.
Several blockbusters starring Newman have become culturally, historically and aesthetically significant and have been preserved in the US National Film Registry. These are the films "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Sting", "Gambler", "Cold-Handed Convict", "Hood" ...
Paul's older brother Arthur Newman also built a career in Hollywood. Which was named after their father. But he was not interested in acting, but found his place behind the camera as a production manager and film producer.
It was less known that Paul played the piano skillfully. In the movie "Road to Perdition", he showed his musical talent with Tom Hanks, with whom he played. They did the music part themselves in all the scenes.
Newman, who finally got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 1, 1994, was also picky when it came to roles. Namely, he refused to appear in the films "Shark", "Dirty Harry" and "Ben Huru". In addition to acting, Paul's passion was car racing, so he competed under the name "P. L. Newman". He even formed his own team with professional race driver Bill Freeman, and enjoyed it at a later age. While he was participating in a charity race, an unusual situation happened to the actor. Namely, he was approached by an older woman who wanted to stir her punch in the glass with her finger. "I'd love to, but I just pulled it out of the cyanide bottle," Paul replied.
When it comes to love and private life, Newman has been married twice. His first wife was Jackie White, with whom he was married from 1949 to 1958, and they had a son and two daughters. The same year he divorced, he married actress Joan Woodworth. They were married for 50 years, or until Paul's death, and they had three daughters.
Newman has been nominated 11 times for the Oscar, and won three, for the best leading role in the film "Color of Money", the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award for outstanding contribution to humanitarian affairs, and the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.
Only a few months before Paul's death, that is, in June 2008, the American media discovered that he was suffering from lung cancer and was spending time in hospital. Writer A. E. Hotchner, who worked with the actor, said he learned of the disease 18 months earlier. According to Newman, when the sad news spread, he said that he was fine, but he neither denied nor confirmed that he was suffering from lung cancer.
By the way, the actor was a passionate smoker until 1986 when he finally quit smoking. The legendary Newman passed away on the morning of September 26, 2008 in his home with his family, and he was 83 years old. His body was cremated and a private funeral was held near his home in Vetsport.
When I read his biography I realize that he was unique!