But when it comes to iconic celebrity couples, the late Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, now 92, must be included.
Paul and Joanne married in 1958 and remained together until Newman died in 2008 at the age of 83. Joanne and Paul were married for 50 years, appearing in films, traveling, and raising a family.
But did you know that when Woodward and her future husband first met, she wasn’t impressed?
Paul Newman is one of his generation’s most admired actors and entertainers. They were a timeless golden Hollywood pair with Joanne Woodward.
People may believe that Newman was the only focus of the relationship. However, Joanne Woodward has had a brilliant career, collecting several honors and shining brightly among Hollywood’s biggest and brightest performers.
She was well-known for her believable and fantastic performances in cinema, theater, and television. Joanne separated herself from other actors in 1950s Hollywood by playing strong and independent characters rather than the numerous hapless ones that were often assigned to women at the time.
Joanne Woodward was born in Thomasville, Georgia, on February 27, 1930.
Joanne attended Greenville High School in Greenville, South Carolina, and while still a youngster, she won numerous beauty pageants.
Her acting career began in high school, when she appeared in a number of theater shows.
She portrayed Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and would return to Greenville in the 1970s, portraying Amanda Wingfield in the same production.
Las Vegas wedding
Joanne returned to Greenville in 1955, at the age of 25, for the opening of her first film, Count Three and Pray.
Joanne relocated to Louisiana after graduating from high school, where she studied acting at Louisiana State University. She subsequently went to New York City and performed on stage.
Joanne’s choice to visit New York proved to be a wise one. In 1953, she met Paul Newman, who would become her future husband.
Newman was married to his first wife, Jackie Witte, at the time.
Joanne had just graduated from Louisiana State University and was working as an understudy in the Broadway production of Picnic. Newman was featured in the program, and there were bound to be romantic sparks.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward discussed their first date on Today many years ago.
It was a hot summer day, and Newman was dressed in a seersucker suit, not sweating and looking like an “ice cream ad,” according to Joanne.
“I was hot and sweaty, and my hair was all stringy around my neck,” Joanne said afterwards.
She also said that she wasn’t initially interested, but Newman was. Joanne was an “extraordinarily pretty girl,” and Newman couldn’t get her off his mind.
Marian Edelman Borden recalled in her biography of Newman that Woodard said:
“I despised him at first sight, but he was so funny, pretty, and neat.”
It would take Newman and Woodward four years to take it to the next level. They were buddies from the minute they met, but things changed when they co-starred in The Long, Hot Summer (1957).
Fantastic love tale
In 1957, Newman divorced his wife, Jackie, shortly after finishing The Long, Hot Summer. The couple shared three children.
Paul married Joanne on January 29, 1858, shortly after his divorce from Jackie.
Joanne and Paul married in Las Vegas and honeymooned throughout Europe.
The press couldn’t get enough of the newlywed Hollywood stars. Journalists followed the two on their honeymoon, making them a popular celebrity couple among the general public.
It was the start of a joyful, fascinating, and fantastic love story.
Paul and Joanne moved into their 18th-century Connecticut farmhouse after a six-week honeymoon.
Joanna told the Daily News in 2001 that the choice to go home rather than Los Angeles was critical to their marriage.
“We were never celebrities. We just prefer it here. It also helped that we always loved each other’s company,” Joanne said.
1958 will also be remembered as the year that immortalized Woodward in Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Three Faces of Eve, and she was nominated for another in 1969 for her work in Rachel, Rachel. The latter was directed by Paul Newman.
Winner of an Academy Award
She was then nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams in 1974, and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge in 1991.
Her spouse went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He won it in 1987 for his performance in The Color of Money.
Woodward has won two Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress for her roles in See How She Runs (1978) and Do You Remember Love (1985). She was nominated five more times.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a well-known monument in Hollywood, with hundreds of stars awarded to actors, filmmakers, and artists.
But who was the first to be named after the ancient walkway? Yes, you guessed correctly. According to history, Joanne Woodward received her star at the formal groundbreaking event on February 9, 1960.
Paul Newman and Joanna Woodward chose to raise their family in Connecticut, away from the hectic pace of Hollywood.
Clea, 55, talked about her mother in an interview with the Daily Mail.
She describes her mother as “way ahead of her time.” ‘She was in women’s liberation before it was cool, and she was a hands-on mother; when I was a baby, she breastfed me on set. She’d stop filming in the midst of a scene and say, “Sorry, I’ve got to feed the baby.”
Paul has three children from his previous marriage: Scott (born in 1950), Susan (born in 1953), and Stephanie Kendall (born in 1954).
In 1975, the family experienced a devastating loss when Scott died of a heroin overdose after a motorcycle accident.
Paul founded the Scott Newman Center five years later. Its mission is to teach youngsters about the hazards of alcohol and drug use.
Nothing you can say will make my guilt about Scott go away. “It will be with me for the rest of my life,” Paul Newman stated when his son died, according to The Times.
Joanne Woodward and her family
Joanne was the mother of three girls. Melissa Stewart (born 1961), Ellinor Teresa (born 1959), and Claire Olivia (born 1965)
Melissa participated in various TV programs as a youngster, as well as the 1990 film Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, which also starred her parents.
In Connecticut, Joanne and Paul continued to have a lovely life together.
People appreciated their beautiful partnership, with actor Liev Schreiber telling a touching anecdote about how the two remained profoundly in love after 40 years of marriage.
It occurred when he was working on the film Twilight (1998) and Joanne was on set.
“He threw his arm over my shoulder and said, ‘Will you look at her ass?’ That struck me as the perfect connection. “I love the idea that a guy approaching 80 still loves his wife’s a$$,” Schreiber told Elle.
Paul and Joanne never slowed down, despite their age. She was the creative director of the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut from 2001 to 2005, and she co-starred in the TV series Empire Falls alongside her husband.
Paul has died.
However, the love story came to an end in 2008, after 50 years of marriage.
Paul Newman died in 2008 at the age of 83 following a battle with cancer. The renowned Butch Cassidy actor was recognized and lauded by the film industry.
Following her loving husband’s death, the Newman estate was bequeathed to Joanne and numerous organizations.
Joanne and Paul were one of Hollywood’s true golden couples, with such a lengthy and happy marriage being unusual in the industry.
The pair kept their love for one another humorous and were recognized for their commitment to politics and charity while managing their jobs and families.
Daughter expresses herself
In addition, the pair founded the well-known salad dressing Newman’s Own, which donates 100% of its profits to charity.
“They had the love of newlyweds,” said family friend Bob Forrester of the pair. “When I flew with him all over the world, as soon as the plane touched down, Paul would call Joanne and say, ‘I love you,’ even after 50 years of marriage.” She was his whole world. They have a soul connection.”
Following her loving husband’s death, the Newman estate was bequeathed to Joanne and numerous organizations.
According to Joanne, their marriage’s success was rather straightforward.
“We could talk to each other and tell each other anything without fear of being mocked or rejected.” According to Honey Nine, she remarked, “There was trust.”
Clea, the daughter, spoke to the Daily Mail about her mother, Joanne, who is now 92 years old, and how they resemble each other.
‘I wish I had my mother’s skin,’ she said. ‘I’ve got more wrinkles than she has, and she’s 86!’ Her skin is irritating because it is so gorgeous. But she was sunblocking long before sunblock existed. I’ve never seen her without a hat in the sun.’
Three years ago, it was revealed that Ethan Hawke would make a documentary on Joanne and Paul’s lives and achievements. According to Deadline, the family has given its OK.
Joanna Woodward and Paul Newman’s love story is very unique. We’re overjoyed that they were able to spend more than 50 years together. The world may never see another golden Hollywood pair like them again.