September 27, 2008

In the News: Paul Newman


It is a sad day for classic Hollywood, as one of its biggest stars, actor Paul Newman, has passed away at the age of 83. I was shocked to hear this, but I was aware of his most recent battles with cancer. Newman will be forever remembered in memorable film roles, especially through such classics as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Hustler," "Hud," and "Cool Hand Luke" and modern films, such as his Oscar-winning role in "The Color of Money" and other roles in "Absence of Malice," "The Verdict," and "Road to Perdition." Here are some snippets from the AFP write-up on Newman's passing...

Paul Newman, known for his piercing blue eyes, boyish good looks and stellar performances in scores of hit Hollywood movies, has died, his foundation said Saturday. He was 83.

Newman, who had been battling cancer, passed away on Friday, Newman's Own Foundation said in a statement from Westport, Connecticut.

Newman played youthful rebels, charming rogues, golden-hearted drunks and amoral opportunists in a career that encompassed more than 50 movies. He was one of the most popular and consistently bankable Hollywood stars in the second half of the 20th century.

Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987, late in his career, for his role as a pool shark named 'Fast Eddie' in "The Color of Money," co-starring with Tom Cruise.

Newman had six children, three from an early marriage that ended in divorce and three with actress Joanne Woodward, whom he married in 1958. He had five daughters and one son, Scott, who died of a drug overdose in 1978.

Newman retired from movie acting in 2007, at the age of 82.
Rest in peace, Paul Newman. You will be missed.

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