Hollywood marriages are notoriously short lived. That was just as true during the Golden Age of Hollywood as it is today. But every so often, there is a couple who defy the odds and enjoy a long, successful marriage. One of those was the marriage of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who celebrated their 50th anniversary shortly before Newman’s death in 2008. Let’s take a look at the inspiring love story of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodard.
Paul Newman’s entertainment career spanned several decades. Born in 1925 in Ohio, Newman began his acting journey in the 1950s. He made his Broadway debut in 1953 in the play, Picnic, which we will talk about again in a moment. He earned critical acclaim for his performance in the play, which was enough to catch the attention of Hollywood producers. The following year, in 1954, he made his film debut in The Silver Chalice, a movie that was not well-received. His breakthrough role came in 1956 when he portrayed Rocky Graziano, a real-life boxer, in Somebody Up There Likes Me which established his reputation as a Hollywood star.
Born in Georgia in 1930, Joanne Woodward was an accomplished actress with a diverse career that branched into theater, film, and television. She began acting at an early age and debuted on Broadway in the play, The Lovers. The rave reviews she received from this performance led to her to be cast in Picnic in 1953 and The Glass Menagerie in 1955. She transitioned to films in the late 1950s and earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for one of her most notable early roles in The Three Faces of Eve in 1957.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward met in 1953 while both of them were appearing in the Broadway production of Picnic. Their mutual friend, playwright William Inge, played matchmaker and introduced them because he thought they would make a great couple. He was right. Newman was immediately smitten by Woodward’s beauty and talent. Woodward admired Newman’s charm and sense of humor, and she was captivated by his blue eyes. Not long after they met, the two started dating.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s wedding took place on January 29, 1958. The private, intimate ceremony was held in Las Vegas. The couple opted to have a small wedding with only a few close friends and family members in attendance to reflect their strong desire to keep their personal lives private and to avoid excessive media attention. They chose to wed in Las Vegas because the city offered a discreet location, yet one that was still conveniently close to Hollywood so it could easily fit into the busy actors’ demanding schedules.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward appeared in several films together throughout their careers. Their first movie collaboration was The Long, Hot Summer in 1958 in which Newman plays a drifter who falls for the daughter of a wealthy landowner. That same year, the couple starred in Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! In the 1960s, they appeared together in From the Terrace (1960), Paris Blues (1961), A New Kind of Love (1963), and Winning (1969). Paul Newman reprised his role as a private investigator Lew Harper from the 1966 film Harper in the 1975 film The Drowning Pool. Woodward joined the cast of The Drowning Pool, playing a pivotal role as a former lover.
The marriage of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward became one of Hollywood’s most enduring and celebrated unions. Their relationship was built on mutual respect and support. They not only supported each other professionally, but they celebrated each other’s successes. Newman and Woodward managed to avoid the pitfall of jealousy that often creeps into other celebrity marriages when one partner’s career is more successful than the others.
Another secret to the longevity of their marriage was that Newman and Woodward shared common values and priorities. They both worked together to keep their personal lives away from the media glare so they could focus on nurturing their relationship in a more intimate setting. The couple maintained a low-key and private lifestyle that was centered on family, philanthropy, and social activism. Above all, they prioritized their marriage and their dedication to each other. When asked about his successful marriage and his loyalty to his wife, Paul Newman once quipped, “I have steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?”
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward also explained that their marriage was based on a foundation of friendship. They genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, shared many of the same interests, and had great senses of humor. They were each other’s best friends. Joanne Woodward once explained, “He’s very good looking and very sexy and all of those things, but all of that goes out the window and what is finally left is, if you can make somebody laugh … and he sure does keep me laughing.”
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 29, 2008. About nine months later, on September 26, 2008, Paul Newman died of lung cancer, leaving his wife of half a century. Today, Joanne Woodward is 93 years old. She is the oldest living Best Actress Oscar winner and one of the last surviving stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.