Biography of Paul Newman | American actor.

(Shaker Heights, Ohio, 1925 - Westport, Connecticut, 2008) American actor. Hungarian and Catholic mother and Jewish father German, during his youth he received a solid education, and not only in the area of interpretation. The College was something that attracted him since very early. He studied economics at Kenyon College, in Ohio. As a result of the second world war, he served as a seaman in the Navy and, after the war, he studied drama at Yale.

Paul Newman
Also passed by the Actor´s Studio, where he was one of the most brilliant students of his generation, among which were some who would then reach a special popularity, such as James Dean or Marlon Brando, and the famous method of the school who have moved to performances in a more prominent way, which helped to popularize it and make people and newspapers address the , and that the Center rebasase the scope of the exclusively professional.
The beginnings of Newman were theatrical, where he managed to achieve a great success and be in position to take the step to the cinema. After appearing in some television programs, intervened in the silver chalice (1954), Victor Saville, debut unfortunate, because the film did not get any kind of recognition. Two years later, however, came the rise of Newman due to a job that placed him at the forefront of young actors at the time. Robert Wise gave to the main role of marked by hatred (1956) - thought at first to James Dean-, which got into the skin of Boxer Rocky Graziano, that became a prominent United States Champion, from a prison and hard childhood.
Then followed a series of excellent performances that confirmed him as an actor of much worth. Include, among others, his work on Southpaw (1958), Arthur Penn, where he played Billy the child, the legendary gunfighter West. The version of this character, often led to the cinema, emphasized, on this occasion, in the psychological aspects of the Bandit, and critics felt that Newman was memorable in his work.
That same year he returned to get another great success to embody the young husband of cat on the roof of zinc (1958), Richard Brooks, an adaptation of the work of Tennessee Williams in which the frustrations and anxieties of the character and its relationship to marriage and the family offered an excellent venue for Newman offered a display of all his dramatic ability at a very high level. He returned to hit again with his performance in the city in front of me (1959), by Vincent Sherman, this time as young student that opened out into the world of advocacy, and that kept different relationships. It was one of the tapes that began to give him greater popularity outside the United States.

Paul Newman in cat on the roof of zinc (1958)
At the beginning of the sixties he collaborated in two films that, for various reasons, had an excellent reception. One was exodus (1960), Otto Preminger, film version of the voluminous novel the specialist at bestsellers Leon Uris wrote about the formation of the State of Israel. Conceived as a film extravaganza, Preminger got to introduce some moments of great cinema. Newman embodied to Ari Ben Canaan, the Jewish actor who transported the migrants to Israel and participated there in the fight against British and Arab.
Tape, important production surrounding him, came to indicate that Paul Newman had reached star status, although he had never been very much agree with this, given that he always showed reluctance with overly commercial consideration that major studios gave to their products (his membership in political positions of radical Court, within the concept that is given to this word in United States It has not prevented that Newman has been integrated, when did lack, in the celebrations and awards of the Academy without any problem).
His other important work at the beginning of the Decade was the Hustler (1961), Robert Rossen, a hard film, without concessions, about the life of a professional pool player who struggled their way into a world full of traps, in the midst of violent and mafia-like organizations. When the actor was fully located, his following works were below what could be expected of it. Some of their failures not only competed him as an actor, but also as a producer. Perhaps why it began an activity as director, which began at the end of the sixties and came up to 1987.

Paul Newman in the Hustler (1961) and its remake
1986 the color of money, along with Tom Cruise
In this aspect, he made five films, some of which showed the desire to make a "different" film, where ideas and the type of players dominated on the action and the story. Some of them female protagonism corresponded to his wife Joanne Woodward. Rachel, Rachel (1968) and the effect of the gamma on daisies (1972) should be mentioned in this regard. Although his work as a director used to be respectfully welcomed, they were far image transmitting in the screen and - sometimes-incorrect - idea that the public had formed of him. Therefore it could not speak is that it would be a success, what not prevented continue as director in new times.
Throughout the sixties and his role as actor, he worked with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock (torn curtain, 1966), and obtained an important success with two men and a destination (1969), George Roy Hill, in which participated as cast mate Robert Redford, whose work got a great reception. In the 1980s his activity was reduced, among other reasons, because it left aside the roles of young man and sought performances more in line with the years that had. They were works that showed as someone more reflective, skeptical of life and ironic behaviour, not hiding a good dose of cynicism in the best sense of this word.

With Robert Redford in two men and a destination (1969)
They were the years in which appeared in unequal, but sometimes important titles as absence of malice (1981), of Sidney Pollack, final verdict (1982), Sidney Lumet or the color of money (1986), with Martin Scorsese in the direction, film which is conceived as a second part of the Hustler, which Newman plays a veteran player of pool that will guide the steps of a promise , role Tom Cruise played. This work was especially important, because with him got the Oscar of the Academy, for which it had been proposed up to six times - in 1994 would be one honorary for the whole of his career and as one of the actors with the most titles behind him.
His last works showed it as an old glory for which time had not passed in vain, but still retaining the poise and consideration of one of the most important players in the second half of the 20th century. Very attractive, Newman knew how to go beyond being a simple "pretty face" to demonstrate professionalism, interest and concern by the way of interpreting and analyzing the inner workings of his characters; He always felt that the film is more than pure entertainment.
Performances have almost always had commitment to dye, and though the diversity was something logical on someone so extensive as the activity, always flashed in uncomfortable, conflicting types in a society that does not like them but they have no choice but to live in it and adapt to an environment that is considered highly questionable. It was, without a doubt, one of the pioneers of the concept of anti-estrella and so demonstrated in 2002 when, on the verge of reaching the age of 78, returned to the Broadway stage, after nearly four decades of absence, with a new adaptation of the classic of Thornton Wilder, Our Town.
Great car enthusiast, participated in professional careers. He created different types of business in which, with coverage of his popularity, he sought on occasions that part of earnings revirtiesen on collective need; He also held positions in the United Nations, although for a short time. Her love life was discreet to what is usual in Hollywood: his marriage to the actress Joanne Woodward was an example of stability.
With half a century of running behind them and 57 movies in his filmography, Newman announced his retirement in 2003. Without a doubt, its long history has made it one of the legends of the cinema of the United States, in the same style as the most famous actors of the past. Intelligent and exceptional physical appeal, for many years its only name was enough to bring people to the cinema. Some of his works are among the most important in the Middle made from the 1950s.
Extracted from the website: Biografías y Vidas
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