1953–1958: Early roles He made his
Broadway theatre debut in the original production of
William Inge's
Picnic with
Kim Stanley in 1953. While working on the production, he met
Joanne Woodward, an understudy. The two were married in 1958. He also appeared in the original Broadway production of
The Desperate Hours in 1955. In 1959, he was in the original Broadway production of
Sweet Bird of Youth with
Geraldine Page and three years later starred with Page in the film version. During this time Newman started acting in television. His first credited role was in a 1952 episode of
Tales of Tomorrow entitled "Ice from Space". In the mid-1950s, he appeared twice on
CBS's
Appointment with Adventure anthology series. In February 1954, Newman appeared in a
screen test with
James Dean, directed by
Gjon Mili, for
East of Eden (1955). Newman was tested for the role of Aron Trask, Dean for the role of Aron's twin brother Cal. Dean won his part, but Newman lost out to
Richard Davalos. That same year, as a last-minute replacement for Dean, he co-starred with
Eva Marie Saint and
Frank Sinatra in a live color television broadcast of
Our Town, which was a musical adaptation of
Thornton Wilder's stage play. After Dean's death, Newman replaced Dean in the role of a boxer in a television adaptation of Hemingway's story "The Battler", written by A. E. Hotchner. It was broadcast live on October 18, 1955. That performance led to his breakthrough role as Rocky Graziano in the film
Somebody Up There Likes Me in 1956. The Dean connection had additional resonance. Newman was cast as Billy the Kid in
The Left Handed Gun, which was a role originally earmarked for Dean. Additionally, Dean was originally cast to play the role of
Rocky Graziano in
Somebody Up There Likes Me; however, with his death, Newman got the role. Newman's first film for Hollywood was
The Silver Chalice (1954), co-starring Italian actress
Pier Angeli. The film was a box-office failure, and the actor would later acknowledge his disdain for it. In 1956, Newman garnered much attention and acclaim for the role of Rocky Graziano in
Robert Wise's biographical film
Somebody Up There Likes Me. That year, he also played the lead in
Arnold Laven's
The Rack. In 1957, Newman worked again with director Wise in
Until They Sail. Also that year, he acted in
Michael Curtiz's
The Helen Morgan Story.
1958–1979: Career stardom and acclaim In 1958, Newman starred in
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite
Elizabeth Taylor. The film was a box-office smash, and Newman garnered his first Academy Award nomination. Also in 1958, Newman starred in
The Long, Hot Summer with his future wife
Joanne Woodward, with whom he reconnected on the set in 1957 (they had first met in 1953). He won Best Actor at the
1958 Cannes Film Festival for this film. He and Woodward had also appeared on screen earlier in 1958 in the
Playhouse 90 television play The 80 Yard Run. The couple would go on to make a total of 16 films together. In 1959, Newman starred in
The Young Philadelphians, a film that also featured
Barbara Rush,
Robert Vaughn and
Alexis Smith and was directed by
Vincent Sherman. He also co-starred with Woodward in the film
Rally Round the Flag, Boys!. In 1960, he starred in
Exodus and co-starred with Woodward in
From the Terrace. '' (1961) In 1961, Newman starred in
Robert Rossen's
The Hustler. The film, which was based on a
book of the same name by
Walter Tevis, tells the story of small-time pool
hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson (Newman) who challenges a legendary pool player portrayed by
Jackie Gleason. The film was a critical and financial hit. Newman won both the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts award and the Argentinian Film Festival Best Actor awards. He was also nominated for the same prize at that year's Academy Awards.
Stanley Kauffmann, writing for
The New Republic, praised the principal cast, calling Newman "first-rate". Also that year, Newman co-starred with Woodward in
Paris Blues. In 1963, Newman starred in
Hud and co-starred with Woodward in
A New Kind of Love. In 1966, he starred in
Torn Curtain and
Harper. In 1967, Newman starred in
Martin Ritt's
Hombre. The film earned many positive reviews. Also that year, he starred in
Stuart Rosenberg's
Cool Hand Luke. Newman was again nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. In 2005, the United States
Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the
National Film Registry, considering it "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". Critic
Roger Ebert wrote, "
Luke is the first Newman character to understand himself well enough to tell us to shove off. He's through risking his neck to make us happy. With this film, Newman completes a cycle of five films over six years, and together they have something to say about the current status of heroism". In 1968, Newman directed
Rachel, Rachel starring Woodward and based on
Margaret Laurence's
A Jest of God. According to Woodward, Newman did not like the book and had no intention of directing the film. He changed his mind when Woodward could not find any other director. To do the project, the pair accepted a deferred payment. The film was nominated for four
Academy Awards including
Best Picture and won two
Golden Globes including
Best Director. In 1969, Newman co-starred with Woodward in
James Goldstone's auto racing film
Winning. It was one of the top-grossing film that year in the U.S., reaching the thirteenth position and earning $14,644,335. Also that year, Newman teamed with fellow actor
Robert Redford and director
George Roy Hill for
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Scriptwriter
William Goldman talked to Newman about his ideas on approaching the subject matter. Once a script was completed, actor
Steve McQueen, who had read it, called Newman suggesting that they star in it together. Newman, assuming he would play the character of Sundance, suggested that they jointly buy the intellectual property, at which point McQueen hesitated. It was eventually bought by producer
Paul Monash, and Newman was cast as Butch, which created a title change with Redford as Sundance. Newman explained that for the scene where his character performs bicycle tricks a stuntman had been hired, though the footage had left director Hill unsatisfied; Newman had to perform the tricks. Furthermore, Newman explained that it was his idea with Goldman to develop the musical interlude. The film was a success, grossing over $15 million at the box office, and it was fourth highest-grossing film of the year. At the Academy Awards it was nominated for Best Picture as well as well as receiving nominations in other categories. Finally that year, along with
Barbra Streisand and
Sidney Poitier, Newman formed
First Artists Production Company so actors could secure properties and develop movie projects for themselves. In 1970, Newman produced and co-starred with Woodward in
Stuart Rosenberg's
WUSA, based on
Robert Stone's novel
A Hall of Mirrors. Newman and his partner John Foreman purchased the rights for $50,000. The film flopped both commercially and critically. However, Newman later said that it is "the most significant film I've ever made and the best". In 1971, Newman directed and starred in
Sometimes a Great Notion based on
Ken Kesey's
novel. Although several directors were considered, it was announced that Newman would direct. However,
Richard A. Colla was signed to direct the film in May 1970. Five weeks after principal photography began, Colla left the project due to "artistic differences over photographic concept", as well as a required throat operation. At the same time, Newman broke his ankle and the production shut down As co-executive producer, Newman considered replacing Colla with George Roy Hill, but Hill declined the offer, so when filming resumed two weeks later, Newman was directing. '' (1971) Also that year, Newman hosted
David Winters' made-for-TV documentary
Once Upon a Wheel. Winters said that at the time Newman had publicly stated he did not want to do television and turned it down for that reason until Winters explained his own vision to Newman. Newman, a race car enthusiast, said, "The show gives me a chance to get close to a sport I'm crazy about. I love to test a car on my own, to see what I can do, but racing with 25 other guys is a whole different thing. There are so many variables, the skill demanded is tremendous."
Bob Bondurant, Newman's driving instructor who appears in the film, explained that
Once Upon a Wheel was a passion project for Newman "because he wanted to learn how to drive" and that he had refused projects that would have paid him a much larger salary. The project marked Newman's return to television after a decade long absence, and his first time as the lead of a program. During post-production, Winters said that Newman, who liked what he saw, gave him the idea to add some footage to sell it as a theatrical film worldwide. Upon its release, the documentary generally received good reviews for its directing, pace, photography, music, and human interest stories. In 1972, Newman's vehicles produced by First Artists included
Pocket Money and
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean. Also that year, Newman directed
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, the screen version of the
Pulitzer Prize-winning play
of the same name. It was in competition at the
Cannes Film Festival, and Joanne Woodward won the best actress award. In 1973, Newman reunited with director George Roy Hill and fellow actor Robert Redford in
The Sting. The film made over $68,000,000 in the North American box office and was the highest-grossing film of 1974. For his participation, Newman received top billing, $500,000, and a percentage of the profits. The film was awarded Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In 1974, Newman co-starred with
Steve McQueen in
John Guillermin's disaster film
The Towering Inferno. Newman plays an architect trapped in a burning skyscraper that he had designed. Newman was paid $1,000,000 plus a percentage of the gross, and he insisted that he do his own stunts. The film was a success and its North American gross was $55,000,000. In 1975, his third film with First Artists was the
Harper sequel
The Drowning Pool, in which Woodward appeared. '' in 1976 In 1977, Newman reunited with director Hill in the hockey sport comedy
Slap Shot. At the time of its release the film received mixed reviews, many saying that it was "setting a new standard in its use of obscenities". Years later on Home Video and cable showings the film gained cult status. That year, Newman opened the
Hamptons Hollywood Cafe with his friend Ron Buck.
1980–1999: Late career roles and Oscar win In 1980, Newman directed the television screen version of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play
The Shadow Box. In 1981, he acted in
Sydney Pollack's
Absence of Malice. He starred in
Sidney Lumet's
The Verdict in 1982. The film was nominated for
Academy Award for Best Picture, and Newman received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1984, Newman starred in and directed
Harry & Son. In 1986, twenty-five years after
The Hustler, Newman reprised his role of "Fast Eddie" Felson in the
Martin Scorsese–directed film
The Color of Money, for which he finally received the
Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was a commercial success although it received mixed reviews. Newman starred with
Tom Cruise,
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and
John Turturro. In mid-1987, Newman sued
Universal Pictures for allegedly failing to account properly for revenues from video distribution of four of his films made for Universal and that Universal owed him at least $1 million for the home video versions of
The Sting,
Slap Shot,
Winning, and
Sometimes a Great Notion. The complaint claimed that Universal accounted for the cassette revenues in a way that improperly decreased amounts due to Newman, with the actor wanting a full accounting along with $2 million in damages. Also in 1987, Newman directed a screen version of
Tennessee Williams'
The Glass Menagerie starring his wife
Joanne Woodward,
John Malkovich, and
Karen Allen. The film was in competition at the
Cannes Film Festival.
Variety called it "a reverent record" of the Williams play that "one watches with a kind of distant dreaminess rather than an intense emotional involvement" and cited the "brilliant performances ... well defined by Newman's direction". In 1990, Newman co-starred with Woodward in the
James Ivory film adaptation
Mr. and Mrs. Bridge based on the
Evan S. Connell novel of the same name. In 1994, Newman played alongside
Tim Robbins as the character Sidney J. Mussburger in the
Coen brothers comedy
The Hudsucker Proxy, which received mixed reviews. Also that year, he acted in
Robert Benton's ''
Nobody's Fool'' earning yet another nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actor.
2000–2008 In 2003, Newman appeared in a Broadway revival of Wilder's
Our Town, winning a nomination for a
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance.
PBS and the cable network
Showtime aired a taping of the production, and Newman was nominated for an
Emmy Award as well for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie. Newman's last live-action movie appearance was as a conflicted mob boss in the
Sam Mendes-directed film
Road to Perdition (2002) opposite
Tom Hanks,
Jude Law, and
Stanley Tucci. For his performance he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Although he continued to provide voice work for movies, Newman's last live-action appearance was in the 2005 HBO mini-series
Empire Falls, based on the
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by
Richard Russo, in which he played the dissolute father of the protagonist Miles Roby and for which he won a
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. In keeping with his strong interest in auto racing, Newman provided the voice of
Doc Hudson, a retired anthropomorphic race car, in
Cars (2006). This was his final role in a major feature film as well as his only animated film role. Almost nine years after his death, he was billed as Doc Hudson in
Cars 3 (2017), his appearance made possible through the use of archival recordings. Newman retired from acting in May 2007, saying: "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." He came out of retirement to record narration for the 2007 documentary
Dale about the life of
NASCAR driver
Dale Earnhardt and for the 2008 documentary
The Meerkats, his final film role overall. ==Personal life==