Paul Newman: 1925-2008

Paul Newman, a legendary leading man whose fame never waned thanks to a combination of savvy career choices, raw talent and his reinvention as gourmet food guru, died last night at his farmhouse near Westport, Conn. The Oscar winner and philanthropist was 83.

The actor had been battling lung cancer for several months, possibly longer, but his family kept news of his condition private. Several tabloids spoke of his deteriorating health over the past few months, but Newman’s family wouldn’t discuss the matter. It simply released a brief statement in June saying the acting legend was “doing nicely.”

His last days matched his public persona - understated and private. He handled fame with grace, humility and perspective - the latter a by-product of living far from the city that employed him for decades. And his marriage to actress Joanne Woodward stood as a testament to his unwillingness to embrace Hollywood’s transitive nature. The couple celebrated their 50th year together in January.

He let his work speak for itself, and it will keep speaking long after his passing.

To generations of movie fans the 1992 Kennedy Center honoree seemed ageless. Those piercing blue eyes looked forever young on screen, and he retained his youthful vigor well into his golden years.

He’ll be remembered as much for his screen longevity as iconic performances in movie classics like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,“ “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Hustler.”

His gourmet food empire began at a time when he was still in demand as a Hollywood actor. Fox News’ Roger Friedman reported in June that Mr. Newman slowly turned the company over to charity starting in 2007. Mr. Friedman says the transaction of Newman’s Own Foundation was valued at $120 million.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Newman envisioned a career as a professional athlete, not a matinee idol. He served in the Naval Reserves during World War II and only began taking acting seriously once he enrolled at Kenyon College. He followed up that training with lessons at the Yale School of Drama and, later, instruction from teaching legend Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio in New York City.

Newman’s first Broadway appearance came with a 1953 production of “Picnic.” A year later, he appeared on screen for the first time in “The Silver Chalice.” The reviews for the latter weren’t kind, but he proved a quick study.

He turned the critics’ heads around with his performance as Brick in the screen version of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in 1958. The role earned him his first of 10 Oscar nominations.

More standout performances followed, including his iconic turn as Fast Eddie in “The Hustler,” a film which hasn’t aged a minute. Newman commanded the screen, but he proved generous enough to let co-stars like Jackie Gleason and Piper Laurie share the spotlight. It was an early sign of his on-screen philosophy. He rarely turned in anything less than stellar work, but he never hogged the screen.

The Academy nominated him for “The Hustler,“ and gave him more nods for his performances in “Hud” (1963) and later “Cool Hand Luke” (1967).

He ignited an on and off screen relationship with Robert Redford with his 1969 smash “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The duo later re-teamed for 1973’s “The Sting” and spoke occasionally about re-teaming in their later years to no avail.

Newman kept working steadily through the 1980s, scoring more Oscar nominations for playing a wrongly accused man in “Absence of Malice” (1981) and a boozy lawyer in “The Verdict” (1982).

His Oscar flirtations weren’t done just yet. He earned two more Academy Award nominations - for 1994’s “Nobody’s Fool” and 2002’s “Road to Perdition.”

His forays into comedy were the least successful chapters of his career, and his string of Oscar nominations left him as film‘s version of daytime television’s Susan Lucci. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences corrected the error in 1985 by giving Newman an honorary Oscar. The following year, he earned one the old-fashioned way for recreating his Fast Eddie character in “The Color of Money.“

The actor seemed wary of following any traditional career path. He and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward lived far away from both New York City and Hollywood in Westport, Conn. The duo earned the envy of their Hollywood peers for their lengthy marriage - and their ability to share the screen - 10 times - without sliding into divorce court.

Newman also directed his wife in several features, including “Rachel, Rachel“ (1968) and “The Glass Menagerie” (1987).

The actor’s career slowed when he entered his 60s partly do to his new project, a gourmet food company which grew beyond his humble ambitions.

Newman’s Own, which produces salad dressing, popcorn and other gourmet goodies, has earned more than $250 million in over a quarter century in business. The company’s profits are sent to a number of charities, according to the Newman’s Own web site.

Newman also founded the first Hole in the Wall Camp in 1988, a summer camp aimed at providing seriously ill children a respite.

His latest role of significance came in 2005. He played a cantankerous old man in the HBO miniseries “Empire Falls” based on the book by Richard Russo. The actor previously shined in another Russo adaptation — “Nobody’s Fool,” arguably one of his best late-career performances.

His last official credit came with a voice-only performance in the 2006 Pixar smash “Cars.” His voice, now a gravelly baritone, gave life to a city elder who helped the hot rod hero find himself.

(Photo: Screen legend and philanthropist Paul Newman died Sept. 26 after a long battle with cancer.)

UPDATE: Variety and MovieMaker Magazine contributor Joe Leydon checks in with eight powerful Paul Newman performances for younger audiences unfamiliar with the legend’s work.