Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward first met in 1957 while working together in Louisiana on the film The Long Hot Summer. The two became romantically involved, even though he was still married at the time. Newman and Woodward were married in Las Vegas on January 29, 1958, shortly after his divorce from his first wife Jackie became final.
Films Newman and Woodward Appeared in Together
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward made seven movies together over a 33-year period. The Long Hot Summer was released in 1958. It has been described as a "soap opera" similar to Peyton Place. They next appeared in the film Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys in 1959. It was a comedy about a missile base being built in a small town. In 1960 they made the film From the Terrace which was about a couple in a loveless marriage. In 1961 they worked together on Paris Blues in which Newman played a jazz trombone player who romances two visiting American tourists played by Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll. They next both appeared together in the romantic comedy A New Kind of Love in 1963. They didn't make another film together until 1975's The Drowning Pool; Newman played a private detective who travelled to the South to help an old girlfriend. The last film the couple made together was Mr and Mrs Bridge from 1990. It was about an aging couple who were having trouble adapting to the changing times.
Newman and Woodward's Family
The Newman's have three daughters; Elinor Teresa (now Nell Newman), Melissa Steward, and Claire Olivia. Paul Newman had three children from his first marriage; two daughters and a son. Sadly, his son Scott died at age 28 of a drug overdose. This prompted Newman to create the Scott Newman Foundation, which raises money to combat drug abuse so other families would not suffer the same agony. His daughter Nell Newman now runs Newman's Own, the food company created by her father.
Newman's Family Home
Since 1961, the Newman's have made Westport, Connecticut their home and it was there that Paul Newman died in September of 2008. They also had homes in New York City and Malibu, California.
Newman and Woodward's Secret to a Long Marriage
When asked why their marriage had lasted so long, Paul Newman is quoted on the IMDB website as saying "we are very, very different people and yet somehow we feed off those varied differences and instead of separating us, it has made the whole bond a lot stronger."
What the Future Holds for Joanne Woodward
Joanne Woodward is currently the co-artistic director at the Westport County Playhouse; before he became ill with lung cancer, Paul Newman had planned on directing Of Mice and Men at the Playhouse. Joanne Woodward continues to live in Westport, Connecticut.
