Hollywood has witnessed the rise and fall of many iconic couples: Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, to name a few.
When reflecting on legendary celebrity pairs, the enduring love story of the late Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who is now 93, instantly comes to mind.
Paul and Joanne tied the knot in 1958 and remained together until Newman’s passing in 2008 at the age of 83. Over 50 years, they shared a life of acting, traveling, and raising a family.
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Did you know that Woodward wasn’t immediately taken with her future spouse when they first met?
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman
Paul Newman, a beloved actor and artist of his era, alongside Joanne Woodward, comprised an immortal Hollywood pair.
While Newman may have been the spotlight, Joanne Woodward had a thriving career herself, garnering numerous awards and shining brightly among Hollywood’s elite.
Renowned for her compelling performances in film, theater, and television, Woodward stood out in 1950s Hollywood by portraying strong, independent characters rather than the typical damsels depicted at the time.
Born on February 27, 1930, in Thomasville, Georgia, Joanne Woodward excelled in beauty pageants during her teenage years at Greenville High School in South Carolina.
Her venture into acting began in high school, starring in various theater productions, including depicting Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and later returning in the 1970s to play Amanda Wingfield.
Married in Las Vegas
In 1955, at 25, Joanne revisited Greenville for the premiere of her debut film Count Three and Pray.
Following high school, she pursued drama at Louisiana State University, then ventured to New York City for stage appearances.
The move to New York proved pivotal as it led to her fateful encounter with Paul Newman in 1953 at a Broadway play where Newman was then married to his first wife, Jackie Witte.
Joanne, a Louisiana State graduate, appeared in the play Picnic, and a budding connection with Newman blossomed amidst their shared theatrical pursuits.
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Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward recounted their initial meeting to Today, reminiscing about a scorching day where Newman, cool and collected in a seersucker suit, left a striking impression on Joanne.
Describing herself as warm and disheveled, Joanne confessed her initial lack of interest, while Newman was captivated by her exceptional beauty.
Recalling Woodward’s words from Marian Edelman Borden’s biography of Newman, the author revealed that Woodward stated:
“I instantly hated him, but he was so funny and handsome and neat.”
It would take four years before their friendship evolved into something more significant as they starred together in The Long, Hot Summer (1957).
Beautiful love story
Following his divorce from Jackie shortly after filming The Long, Hot Summer in 1957, Newman and Woodward, who shared three children, married on January 29, 1958, in Las Vegas, embarking on a honeymoon across Europe.
Freshly married, the press avidly followed the pair, who captivated the public as a beloved Hollywood duo during their honeymoon.
Thus commenced a joyous, enchanting, and enduring love tale.
After a six-week honeymoon, Paul and Joanne settled in their 18th-century farmhouse in Connecticut, a deliberate choice over Los Angeles that, as Joanna shared in a 2001 interview with the Daily News, proved pivotal for their marital bliss.
“We were not Hollywood people. We just liked it here better. It probably also helped that we always enjoyed each other’s company,” Joanne remarked.
In 1958, Woodward’s Hollywood legacy was cemented as she secured an Academy Award for Best Actress in The Three Faces of Eve, followed by another nomination in 1969 for Rachel, Rachel, directed by Paul Newman.
Academy Award winner
Woodward further earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in 1974 for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams and in 1991 for Mr. & Mrs. Bridge.
Her husband was also a recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987 for his role in The Color of Money.
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Woodward also clinched two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in See How She Runs (1978) and Do You Remember Love (1985) and received five more nominations.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame boasts the footprints of countless stars, but it was Joanne Woodward who claimed the first star during the official inauguration on February 9, 1960, according to History.
My mother was ahead of her time…
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward opted to raise their family in Connecticut, removed from the bustling Hollywood scene.
In an interview with Daily Mail, their daughter Clea, 55, reflected on her mother,
‘My mother was ahead of her time,’ she says. ‘She was in the women’s movement before it was a popular topic and she was a practical mother; when I was a baby, she breastfed me on set. She stopped the cameras in the middle of the scene and said, “Sorry, I have to feed the baby.”
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Paul Newman’s son, Scott
Paul had three children from his first marriage, including son Scott (born in 1950) and daughters Susan (born in 1953) and Stephanie Kendall (born in 1954).
In 1975, the family endured a tragic loss when Scott succumbed to a drug overdose after a motorcycle accident.
Five years post the tragedy, Paul initiated the Scott Newman Center to educate children on the perils of alcohol and drug abuse.
“There is nothing you can say that can restore my guilt over Scott. It will stay with me as long as I live,” articulated Paul Newman following his son’s passing, as per The Times.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – family
Joanne welcomed three daughters: Ellinor Teresa (born in 1959), Melissa Stewart (born [remainder of content missing]
