I appreciate that many of you probably knew Paul Newman more as the philanthropist whose face is the logo for a variety of food products (from “Newman’s Own” salad dressing to popcorn) than as an actor or political activist.
But, to get a sense of who Newman was, just imagine Leonardo DiCaprio someday being known more for donating hundreds of millions of dollars to charity and for his environmental activism than for acting in over 50 movies and for his reputation as a heartthrob.
After all, in his day, Newman was arguably an even bigger movie star than DiCaprio is today. He gained international fame in such films as Hud, Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and then won critical acclaim in others like The Sting, Absence of Malice and The Verdict.
Yet there’s no denying that, despite his 10 Academy Award nominations and 3 Oscars, Newman will be remembered more for his philanthropy than for his acting. And, no doubt, that’s the way he would have wanted it.
In fact he often said that his “deepest satisfaction came from philanthropy.” And, notwithstanding the millions he donated to charity, the center piece of his charitable efforts were the Hole-in-the-Wall Camps he founded for seriously ill children, which have comforted over 135,000 kids around the world, all free of charge.
Meanwhile, like Greta Garbo, Newman exhibited a visceral dislike for fame and the self-indulgent trappings of celebrity. Specifically, unlike so many stars today who feign disdain for the spotlight that continually shines on their celebrity lifestyles, he demonstrated his genuine disdain for what he called the “rubbish of Hollywood” by utterly shunning it for a more genteel lifestyle in Westport, Connecticut.
Moreover, where drive-through weddings and quickie divorces are de rigueur in Hollywood, nothing distinguished Newman’s lifestyle quite like his 50-year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward. According to Reuters, when asked the secret of his marriage, Newman said he had no reason to stray, exclaiming that:
I have steak at home. Why should I go out for a hamburger?
Yet Newman’s passion for car racing said a lot about his sense of adventure. And, where many stars today get their thrills from participating in celebrity races, Newman won critical acclaim in this sport by placing second in the grueling 24 hours at Le Mans in 1975, and by becoming the oldest driver at 70 on a winning team in the 24 hours at Daytona in 1995.
Finally, I am especially impressed with the courage Newman showed by using his fame to advance black civil rights and other social causes. Indeed, he became such a force in this respect that he ended up on President Richard Nixon’s infamous “enemies list,” which Newman reportedly regarded as:
…the highest single honor I’ve ever received.
I am also proud of the fact that Newman and Woodward were regulars at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, hailed by Newsweek as “the best of all American summer theaters” and which is hosted by my alma mater, Williams College.
Newman lost his heroic battle with cancer on Friday night at his home in Connecticut. He was 83.
Farewell Paul
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movie fan says
it’s hard not to admire Paul Newman for putting his money to work in such productive ways, such as his Newman’s Own line–high quality stuff and the proceeds go to good causes… very smart.