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Paul Newman: Baby Blue Eyes

© Dexter Wolfe

Newman left his first wife and family in New York, and while in Hollywood, he re-met actress Joanne Woodward whom he had met on Broadway. Joanne Woodward was an up and coming star -- the first to have a star placed on the infamous Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1957 they played leads in The Long, Hot Summer also starring Orson Welles and Angela Landsbury. That same year Paul and his wife were divorced.

In his youth Newman's acting was cocky -- but not boastful --and those blue eyes even today are backed by charisma in hard-hitting films. The bulk of his movie career occurred in the 1960 to the 1980's with such memorable films as The Hustler (1961), Hombre (1967), Cool Hand Luke (1967) and who will ever forget that smile in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) with Robert Redford followed by The Sting (1973) The tone of many of his cocky strident roles was set by a movie classic with Elizabeth Taylor in a blockbuster called Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), he was nominated for best actor.

The profits (well over $80 million) from his "Newman's Own" line of salad dressings and other food items have supported human causes and employed his children.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a camp for terminally ill children. The Scott Newman Foundation (named for his son who died of a tragic overdose) is for drug and alcohol abuse education. His philanthropy supplies monies for drought relief in Africa.

Newman and Woodward have three daughters, Elinor (Nell) who runs part of the business (Newman's Own Organics) in California, Melissa and Claire (Clea). Newman and Woodward celebrated their 43th wedding anniversary in January 2001 -- who said that Hollywood marriages never last?

The 70's brought strong film roles like The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974) and The Drowning Pool (1976). The 80's he began co-producing, co-screenwriting and directing films. He played the lead in Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981), The Verdict (1982), The Color of Money (1986) and directed The Glass Menagerie (1987).

His most recent staring movies are Message In A Bottle (1999) and Where The Money Is (2000).

Newman's good looks even at the age of 76 and blue eyes are his Hollywood trademark. Acting, directing, writing, producing and race car driving is just a small part in the life of Paul Newman a Hollywood family man.