Profile of the Day: Paul Newman

Paul Newman

Today we celebrate what would have been legendary actor Paul Newman’s 92nd birthday!

Born on January 26, 1925, Newman was the second son of Theresa Fetzko and Aurthur Sigmund Newman. His mother was born in Homonna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Slovakia) and his father was the son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary and Poland. As a child, Newman showed an early interest in theater and participated in school plays. While in college, Newman enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II. He trained as a radioman and rear gunner for torpedo bombers.

After the war, Newman pursued his acting career, first in theater and then in film. In 1959, he earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role opposite Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Some of his most popular films include Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting.

In 1958, Newman married actress Joanne Woodward. The couple was married for 50 years until his death in 2008.

What’s your favorite Paul Newman movie?

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Image: Wikimedia Commons