by Shawn Levy
First published 2009
Shawn Levy chronicles the complete story of Paul Newman, from his Cleveland childhood through his rise to Hollywood royalty. The author traces Newman's journey from a sporting goods heir who defied family expectations to pursue acting, through his breakthrough role as boxer Rocky Graziano after James Dean's death opened the door. Levy examines how Newman transformed from struggling theater actor into box office gold with films like The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The biography reveals Newman's commitment to his craft as part of the Actors Studio generation, his political activism on civil rights and nuclear issues, and his midlife passion for auto racing that made him the oldest driver to win a major professional race. Levy explores Newman's enduring marriage to Joanne Woodward, his pranks on movie sets, and the creation of Newman's Own food empire that generated over $250 million for charity. The book also confronts the tragedy of his son's death from drug overdose and how it shaped Newman's later years.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biographical, rise-to-fame
Setting: Cleveland
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
496 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype