Paul Newman, Hollywood Giant, Philanthropist, Political Activist, Dies at 83

I know that McCain, Obama, last night’s debate, and the election in general are what’s dominating the news right now, but I want to take a moment to note the passing of Paul Newman. He had cancer.

Aljean Harmetz calls Newman “a magnetic titan of Hollywood” and “one of the last of the great 20th-century movie stars.”

The vice-chairman of the philanthropic foundation Newman created put out the following statement:

“Paul Newman’s craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all.

“Paul had an abiding belief in the role that luck plays in one’s life, and its randomness. He was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance.

“An exceptional example is the legacy of Newman’s Own. What started as something of a joke in the basement of his home, turned into a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food company. And true to form, he shared this good fortune by donating all the profits and royalties he earned to thousands of charities around the world, a total which now exceeds $250 million.

“While his philanthropic interests and donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start over 20 years ago. He saw the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and raise a little hell. Today, there are 11 Camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and Vietnam. Through the Camps, well over 135,000 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be.

“In Paul’s words: “I wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.”

“Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness. His legacy lives on in the charities he supported and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much.

“We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person.”

Newman actively supported the Democratic Party and liberal politics in general:

Actor, activitist [sic], philanthropist Paul Newman, whose name appeared both on lists of Academy Award winners and Nixon’s enemies, died Friday at his home in Westport, Connecticut, survived by his wife actress Joanne Woodward and five daughters.
[...]
A long time liberal, in 2006 Newman appeared in a video supporting Democratic senator Ned Lamont’s run for Congress, donated to Democratic Presidential candidates continuing an arc that began when he famously photographed at a fundraiser in 1968 during Eugene McCarthy’s run for the White House, helping land him at #19 on President Nixon’s enemy list. Commented Newman years later:

It was one of my life’s proudest achievements. More than the films, more than the awards — finding out that I was on Nixon’s Enemies List meant that I was doing something right.

His inspirational political activism included participating as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, as a delegate to a United Nations conference on nuclear proliferation and as part-owner of (and occasional guest columnist for) “The Nation” magazine.
[...]
Newman continued to act and speak out until he announced retirement last year. In June, 2007 he issued this statement:

I am proud now to stand with a new generation of Democrats against a president who poses what I believe to be the biggest internal threat to American democracy in my lifetime.

Rest in peace, Paul Newman.

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