By April MacIntyre Sep 27, 2008, 14:02 GMT
Paul Newman has died.
He passed away surrounded by his family Friday night at age 83.
The man gave us a rich cast of cinematic characters to enjoy: Hud Bannon. Cool Hand Luke. Butch Cassidy, Fast Eddie Felson - roles that will last on for many generations. Mr. Newman bucked Hollywood cliche and married and stayed married to his love who he met on Broadway, raising a family of six children away from public scrutiny, and in later years created a food empire that gave so many millions to charity.
Mr. Newman was the epitome of a class act.
For fifty years Paul Newman was the perfect anti-hero and archetype of the American male, his movies revealing a different facet of his personality: "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Cool Hand Luke", "The Hustler," "Hud," ""The Verdict", Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting," "Slap Shot," and "The Color of Money" - Mr. Newman possessed leading man looks with a character actor's arsenal of skills; he owned every frame he was in.
Mr. Newman made nearly 60 films, starred in Broadway, appeared in some of television's finest dramas, won championships as a race car driver and racing team owner, and after the tragedy of his son Scott's death, he began Newman's Own food company and raised nearly $400 million for assorted charities.
He founded the Hole in the Wall Gang camps to offer free vacations and medical care to sick and poor children.
The camps provide free vacations to children suffering from serious illness. With on-site medical staff and frequent visits from Newman and famous stars, the camps are in four U. S. states as well as Ireland, England, France, Israel and Africa.
Awards were bestowed upon Mr. Newman, who won one Oscar during his seventh nomination, and was nominated for 10 Oscars; in 1994, Newman was given the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Award for his charity work; he also earned a Kennedy Center Honor in 1992 with his wife, Joanne Woodward - also honored.
Mr. Newman remained a Connecticut resident, hailing originally from Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
He famously joked his favorite honor was being listed as number 19 on President Nixon's "enemies list" and always declared in interviews that he was just "lucky."
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Film loverSep 27th, 2008 - 14:54:19
Mr. Newman will be missed like no other actor. RIP Paul
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SherSep 27th, 2008 - 15:18:27
Definitely a class act all the way!
GOD BLESS.Sep 27th, 2008 - 22:17:22
This man did so much good and cared so much about the needy children, May God Bless him and his forever.
SpitfireSep 28th, 2008 - 00:19:09
Everything he did, he did with striking honesty, generosity and grace. I bow my head to Paul Newman. If there are people like him in the hereafter, I'm less afraid to die today than I was yesterday. Respect! Spitfire
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