PAUL NEWMAN DEAD OF CANCER AT AGE 83

Hollywood legend Paul Newman has lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 83.The icon had reportedly been given only weeks to live after allegedly completing chemotherapy treatment at a New York City hospital in August. Newman was pictured being wheeled out of the Weill Cornell Medical Centre which specializes in cancer treatment He was looking thin and frail last July which ignited fears for his health He withdrew as director from a production of Of Mice and Men after reportedly being diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. He died last night. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in January 1925, Newman served in the Navy in World War II. Newman hoped of being accepted for pilot training, but his plan was foiled when a flight physical revealed he was colorblind. He eventually became a radioman and gunner. After the war, he completed a degree at Kenyon College, graduating in 1949. Newman later studied acting at Yale University and under Lee Strasberg at the Actors’ Studio in New York City.Newman was best known for his roles in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and 1967’s Cool Hand Luke.He was nominated for 10 Oscars in his five-decade-long career, winning the Best Actor accolade for his role opposite Tom Cruise in The Color of Money in 1986. He also won two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award and an Emmy award. In 2007, he announced his retirement from acting, and admitted he was too old to continue his work in Hollywood. He said, "You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that’s pretty much a closed book for me." Newman was also famed for his charity work. Following the death of his only son Scott from an accidental drug overdose in 1978, the star set up the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention.He was also the founder of the food company Newman’s Own, from which Newman donated all profits and royalties to charity.Newman is survived by his wife, actress Joanne Woodward and their three daughters, Elinor, Melissa and Claire. He also has two daughters, Susan and Stephanie from his first marriage to Jackie Witte.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It is truly a tragedy, the death of such a great American actor. My heart goes out to his family. Paul Newman will be deeply missed.