Paul Newman’s film career, spanning almost five decades, was storied and marked with acclaim. Born on January 26, 1925, he started in theater before appearing in the 1954 film The Silver Chalice, his first. His performances in other movies of the time, such as 1956’s Somebody Up There Likes Me and 1959’s The Young Philadelphians, were applauded.
Newman successfully maintained his acting career through the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in films such as The Hustler in 1961, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (with Robert Redford) in 1969, and The Towering Inferno (with Steve McQueen) in 1974. His performance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid earned him a nomination for a BAFTA Award. Paul Newman also directed films such as 1968’s Rachel, Rachel and the television movie The Shadow Box, both starring his second wife, Joanne Woodward.
In 1986, Paul Newman appeared in the Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money, reprising the role of ‘Fast’ Eddie that he initially played in The Hustler. This earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Newman received more praise for the 1994 film Nobody’s Fool, including nominations for both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. His performance as a mob boss in the 2002 film Road to Perdition, alongside Tom Hanks, earned him nominations for best supporting actor in the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. It would also be his last on-screen appearance; he announced his retirement from acting on May 25, 2007, citing that he couldn’t continue acting on the same level that he wanted to.
His other interests, nevertheless, kept him on the spotlight. His love for automobiles was sparked while shooting the 1969 film Winning, and has raced for different racing teams, notably the Bob Sharp Racing Team from the mid-70s to early 90s. He even voiced the character of Doc Hudson in the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated feature Cars. He is also a known philanthropist, notably through his line of food products Newman’s Own, where all proceeds are donated to charity after taxes. All this would come to end on September 26, 2008, when he passed away after fighting lung cancer for six years.