Birth Name: Paul Leonard Newman
Height: 5' 9"
Nationality: American
Date: January 26, 1925
Birth Place: Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA
Occupation: actor, director, philanthropist, producer, writer
Education: Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, OH
Kenyon College in Gambier, OH (majored in Economics)
Yale University (majored in Drama)
Actors Studio in New York, New York
Wife: Joanne Woodward (actress; born on February 27, 1930; married on January 29, 1958), Jackie Witte (married in 1949; divorced in 1958)
Claim to fame: as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Facts about Paul Newman:

Newman has made it clear he'll be staying away from next month's Tony Awards despite being nominated for his efforts in OUR TOWN -- Newman notified the producers of the June 8 Tony awards of his decision by letter to Isabelle Stevenson, chairman of the American Theater Wing, co-presenters of the awards with the League Of The American Theaters And Producers. (May 30, 2003)

According to a new survey asking for the public's celebrity fantasy designated driver (if such a thing actually exists), the No. 1 choice is screen legend Paul Newman and on the second-place is actress Sandra Bullock who was the fantasy pick for 34 percent of drinkers (no doubt due in part to her bus-driving role in SPEED). (December 19, 2002)

Newman narrowly escaped injury when he was involved in a speedway crash -- the 77-year old actor, a keen speedway enthusiast, frightened onlookers at the Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, North Carolina recently when his car spun out and did a 360-degree turn. (October 12, 2002)

Newman is returning to Broadway after nearly 40 years – he will appear in a revival of OUR TOWN, playing the stage manager in Thornton Wilder's classic play, set in the little New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners. (September 26, 2002)

Newman isn't letting retirement slow him down. He still acts in movies every few years.

He consistently fails to follow through on his intentions to give up acting, race-car driving, political activism and management of his Newman's Own food brand, whose proceeds go to charity.

He performed onstage for the first time in 35 years last month (June 2002), in Our Town. (The play was produced at the Westport, Connecticut, theater where his wife, Joanne Woodward, is artistic director.)

Newman has been closely involved in developing the project, a long and complex book whose screenplay adaptation stands at 227 pages, about twice the length of a typical screenplay for a two-hour movie.
Has his own food products: Paul Newman's Own.

He is color-blind.

Owns The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for children with cancer and other blood-related diesases (and their siblings) in Ashford, Connecticut, and also runs a fall Discovery program for inner city kids, also in Ashford.

Was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of superhero Green Lantern/Hal Jordan.
(1995) Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#12).

He burned his tuxedo on his 75th birthday because he is through with formality.

The sound he loves most is that of a V-8 engine.

Producer of LA DOLCE VITA (1960) Dino de Laurentiis left the project when director Federico Fellini refused to cast him in the lead.

He says the best advice the director of THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986) Martin Scorsese gave him, especially in humorous scenes, was: Try NOT to be funny.

Telly Savalas, was originally cast as Luke in COOL HAND LUKE (1967), but was in Europe and refused to fly. Not able to wait for a boat journey, the producers cast Newman instead.

Paul Newman was offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur in BEN-HUR (1959) but turned it down because he said he didn't have the legs to wear a tunic.

In COOL HAND LUKE (1967), Newman, being the superb method actor that he is, really did eat all 50 of the eggs and got the bloated stomach to prove it.

At star Steve McQueen's insistence, himself and other star Newman had to have exactly the same number of lines of dialogue in the script! (THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974)).

He and McQueen were both paid the same: $1 million and 7.5% of box office each.

His and McQueen's names are staggered in the opening credits, closing credits, and on the posters, so that depending on which way you read it (top to bottom or left to right) both appear to get top billing. This is known as diagonal billing.

In preparation for his title role in HUD (1963), he worked on a Texas cattle ranch for several weeks acquiring genuine calluses and a cowboy's lope.

Took out ads in the Hollywood trade papers apologizing for his performance in THE SILVER CHALICE (1954).
PAPER MOON (1973) originally starred him and daughter Nell Potts, but this changed when original director John Huston bowed out and was replaced by Peter Bogdanovich.

Technical advisor John Scarne doubled for Paul Newman's hands in THE STING (1973). It was he who did all of the card manipulations and deck switching in the film. It would have taken a long time for someone to be able to master all of the card routines shown.

Was nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama/Romance in 2000 for MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE.

Personal quotes
"I've been trying to quit almost everything I do for the last 10 years, and I've managed to quit absolutely nothing."

"I was going to give up my race team, I was going to quit racing. I was going to quit films. I was going to turn the salad-dressing business over to somebody else. And get out of politics. And unfortunately, I'm busier now than before."

"The human beast is a naturally escalating animal and where it seems to escalate now is in excess."

"If you offer violence and sex and explosions, the next time you're going to have to kick up a notch higher to have the same effect - it's like dope."

On adultery: "Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?"

"...I'd shack up with anyone for a million dollars. I'd shack up with a gorilla for a million, plus 10 percent."

"Acting is like letting your pants down - you're exposed."

Awards
He won the Best Actor in the 59th Academy Awards 1986 from his appearance in THE COLOR OF MONEY.
Won the Past Life Achievement Award (SAG Awards) 1985.
Voted as the New Star of the Year- Male of 14th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1956.
Awarded The 26th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1968 as the Best Director for RACHEL, RACHEL.
Voted as the World Film Favorites of 21st Annual Golden Globe Awards 1963.
Voted as the World Film Favorites of 23rd Annual Golden Globe Awards 1965.
Awarded Cecil B.DeMille Award at the 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards 1983.
Awarded as the Best Actor in the film THE LONG, HOT SUMMER at the Cannes Film Festival 1958.
Voted the Best Foreign Actor at the British Academy Award 1962 through his appearance in THE HUSTLER.
He won Honorary Award for in recognition of his many and memorable and compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft in 1986, Best Actor Oscar in 1987 for THE COLOR OF MONEY, and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994.