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In Memorian: Paul Newman

The news story rivaling the economy and the presidential race this weekend is the death of beloved Hollywood acting legend, Paul Newman. But Newman was exemplary in other roles in his life as well. As a husband his 50 year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward was proof positive that indeed a happy marriage could exist in Hollywood. As a father he shielded his 3 daughters from the spotlight choosing to raise his family in quiet Westport, Connecticut. As a philanthropist he established the Hole in the Wall camps for terminally ill children and of course the famous Newman's Own food products to fund the camps and various other charitable causes.

Newman has been described as an "actor's actor" and indeed he was. He trained at the Yale School of Drama and at the legendary Actor's Studio under Lee Strassberg along with such actors as Marlon Brando and Montgomery Cliff. We are lucky to have some of his early performances on film such as Sweet Bird of Youth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof which serve as a snapshot to the state of the art of acting at a critical turning point in the craft as we know it. Newman went on to star in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and The Color of Money, for which he won an Oscar, among dozens of other films. He died of lung cancer at his home in Connecticut. He was 83.

Labels: In Memoriam

posted by Michael @ 9:24 AM