Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's Relationship: A Look Back at the Golden Age Stars' Marriage on His Would-Be 100th Birthday

Mar. 15, 2025

Paul Newman poses with his wife and also actress Joanne Woodward for photographers in the streets of Paris, 23 August 1989. The Newman couple were in Paris for the shooting of James Ivory’s film “Mr. and Mrs. Bridges”.Photo: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty

Paul NewmanandJoanne Woodward’s romance is one of the most revered love stories in Hollywood. The pair were married for 50 years — from 1958 until his death in 2008.

Throughout the years, the couple collaborated on a number of film projects — some of which earned them awards. By the late ’80s, however, their focus and energy shifted from the big screen to establishing and funding charitable organizations.

“Both of my parents felt it wasimportant to give back,” Clea told PEOPLE following the 2022 release of her father’s posthumous memoir,Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man. “Me and my sisters learned that from an early age.”

From their Las Vegas wedding to their philanthropic work, here’s everything to know about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s relationship.

1953: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward meet

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman chat while sitting in a crowd in Paris. The two actors, who have been paired together in a number of films, were wed in January of 1958.Pierre Vauthey/Sygma/Getty

Newman met Woodward while performing in the playPicnicon Broadway.

1957: Paul Newman divorces his first wife, Jackie Witte, and reconnects with Joanne Woodward

Several years later, Newman and Woodward reunited on the set ofThe Long, Hot Summer. The duo starred as each other’s love interest.

Newman split from his first wife, with whom he had fathered three children, son Scott and daughters Susan Kendall andStephanie, and pursued a romantic relationship with Woodward.

January 29, 1958: Paul Newman marries Joanne Woodward in Las Vegas

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman on their wedding day in 1958.Getty Images

Newman and Woodward married in Las Vegas on Jan. 29, 1958.

In 2002, she described her favorite of Newman’s attributes on theTodayshow: “Somebody once said, ‘What is your relationship based on?’ and I said, ‘He’s very good looking and very sexy and all of those things, but all that goes out the window and what finally is left is if you can make somebody laugh, then that’s very important.’ And he sure does keep me laughing.”

April 8, 1959: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward welcome daughter Elinor

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.Mark Kauffman/Time & Life Pictures/Getty

The newlyweds welcomed their first child together, daughterElinor “Nell” Teresa, in April 1959. That year Newman landed the leading role of Anthony Judson Lawrence inThe Young Philadelphians.

The Newman kids spent most of their childhoods in Westport, Conn., according toTown & Country. Nell would later have a brief career as a child actress in the ’60s and ’70s, using the name Nell Potts, and was also responsible for founding the Newman’s Own Organics brand in 1993.

September 27, 1961: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward welcome daughter Melissa

In 1961, Nell got promoted to big sister when Newman and Woodward welcomed their second daughter, Melissa Stewart. She was born on the same day that their filmParis Bluespremiered in the U.S. In the musical film, Newman and Woodward played star-crossed lovers.

Growing up in Westport, Melissa also had a brief career as a child actor, appearing with her mother inSee How She Runsand with her father inSometimes a Great Notion.

In 2022, Melissa told PEOPLE that her dad, “was such a humble guy,” adding that Newman’s philanthropic work “is the purest manifestation of his legacy.”

May 25, 1963: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward cement themselves on Hollywood Boulevard

Joanne Woodward.Archive Photos/Getty Images

Newman and Woodward cemented their hand and footprints together in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 1963. Next to their respective imprints, they wrote “His” and “Hers.”

Down the street, Woodward had received her star on theHollywood Walk of Fame— one of the original eight honorees — in 1958. Newman received his star later, in 1994.

April 21, 1965: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward welcome their youngest daughter, Claire “Clea”

Paul Newman (1925 - 2008) with his wife, American actress Joanne Woodward, circa 1965.Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Affectionately called “Clea,” Claire Olivia was born in 1965 and is the youngest of the Newman kids. Clea grew up with her sisters in Westport, where she developed a passion for horses; she later became a nationally ranked equestrian.

Fourteen years after the loss of her father, Clea told PEOPLE he was someone who had “such a heartfelt passion” for philanthropy and was especially passionate about the camps and programs he founded for children with life-threatening illnesses.

“All his extra free time was spent there, being with the kids, working to open up new camps, talking to families, talking to the kids,” she said. “He really cared. It wasn’t something he just said. He did it without asking. No fanfare. He didn’t want a thank you. That’s just who he was.”

February 24, 1969: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are both nominated for Oscars

Joanne Woodward arrives at the Pantages Theatre tonight with her husband, actor Paul Newman, for the 30th Annual Academy Awards.Bettman

In 1969, the pair made history as one of the very few couples toreceive Academy Award nominationsin the same year. They were recognized for their work onRachel, Rachel: Woodward was up for Best Actress, while Newman was vying for Best Picture as both producer and director.

Their daughter Nell also appeared in the film as a younger version of Woodward’s character in flashbacks.

Though both leftthe Oscarsceremony empty-handed, Newman and Woodward both scoredGolden Globesfor the film.

1972: Paul Newman directs Joanne Woodward inThe Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigoldswas just one of many projects on which the couple collaborated. Newman served as director, while Woodward portrayed the film’s lead, Beatrice.

Nell also costarred in the drama, playing the daughter of Woodward’s character. The role earned Woodward a Golden Globe nomination and an award for best actress at the 1973Cannes Film Festival.

November 20, 1978: Paul Newman’s son Scott dies at age 28

Paul Newman and his son Scott Newman (1950 - 1978) attend the Ontarion 500 automobile race, Ontario, California, September 3, 1972.Max B. Miller/Fotos International/Getty

In 1978, Newman’s oldest child, Scott, died from an accidental drug and alcohol overdose at 28 years old.

“I kept thinking he was going through a phase ofadolescent bad judgment. I never thought it would be fatal,” Newman recalled in his posthumous memoir.“Many are the times I have gotten down on my knees and asked for Scott’s forgiveness.”

Before his death, Scott had been performing in Los Angeles nightclubs and working as an actor and stuntman in his father’s films.

In his memory, Newman established the Scott Newman Center, a drug abuse education organization based in Torrance, Calif. However, after over 30 years of service, the charitable organization closed its doors due to a lack of funding in 2013, perVanity Fair.

1988: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward start a nonprofit summer camp

Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward at the 40th Cannes Film Festival.DUCLOS/PELLETIER/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

In 1988, the couple established theHole in the Wall Gang Camp— named after the band of outlaws in Newman’s filmButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid— in Ashford, Conn., as a place for children with serious illnesses to experience “fun and friendship,” all expenses paid.

Since its opening, celebrities likeJulia Roberts,Matt DamonandGoldie Hawnhave performed to fundraise for and celebrate the camp’s programs.

Of his charity work, Newman reportedly once said, “I didn’t turn in my citizenship card when I got my screen actor’s card.”

May 1990: Paul Newman speaks at Joanne Woodward and Clea’s college graduation

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward attend 10th Anniversary Gala of Scott Newman Foundation on November 9, 1990 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty

After a 10-year pursuit of her bachelor’s degree, Woodward graduated from Sarah Lawrence College alongside her daughter, Clea, in 1990. Newman was tapped to give the commencement speech.

“The best thing you can give yourself is the gift of possibility,” he told the graduates, perTheNew York Times.

That same year, the couple starred in the filmMr. & Mrs. BridgeandWoodward received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

December 30, 1992: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward receive Kennedy Center Honors

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.Images Press/IMAGES/Getty Images

In 1992, Newman and Woodward were among the recipients ofKennedy Center Honors.

They were recognized for their lifetime of cultural contributions, specifically for their outstanding careers in film and their philanthropic work.

May 2005: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward appear on the small screen together for the last time

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman attend a reception for a special screening of “The Woodsman” on January 10, 2004 in New York City.Peter Kramer/Getty

Empire Fallsmarked the Hollywood power couple’s last on-screen appearance together. Set in a small New England town, the miniseries dropped in two parts on HBO in May 2005.

Newman and Woodward were both nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe andSAG Awardsfor their performances; Newman won all three.

January 29, 2008: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman during The Second Annual Barretstown New York City Gala at Essex House in New York City, New York, United States.James Devaney/WireImage

Newman and Woodward privately rang in their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 29, 2008. Over their decades-long union, the duo never missed an opportunity to show up for each other, for awards ceremonies, movie premieres and charity fundraisers.

“Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades,” Woodward reportedly once said, “but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat!”

September 26, 2008: Paul Newman dies at age 83

The beloved actor was reportedly undergoing outpatient treatment for lung cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. He was 83.

2012: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s philanthropic efforts live on in the SeriousFun Children’s Network

Paul Newman and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward shown on location for a television special.Bettman

In 2012, the couple’s nonprofit organization SeriousFun combined with their global camp network, including the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, to create theSeriousFun Children’s Network. The organization aims to “empower children with serious illnesses.”

“He really wanted to make a difference and give back. He went very deep with the camps,” Clea told PEOPLE in 2022. “We now have 30 camps and programs all over the world. Last year, we served 150,000 children and their families, all free of charge. It’s an incredible thing that he started.”

Clea shared that her father went “way out of his comfort zone” to ensure the camps provided the best experience possible, such as “performing and calling people to raise money.” Newman was also known to tend to the campgrounds and facilities himself.

“He just felt like these children were missing out on their childhood and he wanted to give them a place to feel included and not feel isolated because of their illness,” she added.

October 2022: Paul Newman says Joanne Woodward made him a “sexual creature” in posthumous memoir

Paul Newman and wife Joanne Woodward at a private dinner party at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, where they attended the premier of Tosca.Bettman

InPaul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of An Ordinary Man, the beloved actor recalled how he “felt like a goddamn freak” before meeting Woodward. “Girls thought I was a joke. A happy buffoon,” he wrote. But after meeting Woodward, “I went from being not much of a sexual threat to something else entirely.”

Newman confessed that they “left a trail of lust all over the place,” from hotels to parks to rental cars. “Joanne gave birth to a sexual creature,” he said.

July 21, 2022: Ethan Hawke directs a docuseries about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s romance

While promoting the project, Hawke revealed how the opportunity to document the couple’s love story came across his desk.

“One of their daughters called me up a couple weeks before the [COVID-19] pandemic started and saidshe really wanted to make a documentaryabout her parents. She thought hiring an actor would be a good way to do it,” he told PEOPLE in 2022.

Before his death in 2008, Newman had interviewed many of his peers on tape, only to later destroy the tapes. However, his daughters had the transcriptions of the interviews and asked Hawke to bring their parents' love story to life.

“If I had to guess what the secret of their happiness was, it was a sense of humor — and they seemed to apply it to just about everything. They had a natural humility that brought a lot of laughter into their life,” Hawke told PEOPLE. “I don’t know what we can attribute that to, but they were really funny. I watched all these hours and hours of interviews and they always had their wit about them. They didn’t take themselves too seriously.”

The director also mentioned that Newman and Woodward “had a tremendous amount of respect for each other” and the “last years of their time together was probably the happiest.”

Clea told PEOPLE in 2022 that, despite facing obstacles within their marriage, her parents “fought really hard to stay together.”

“There were times it was pretty close but they worked hard at it,” she said. “Ultimately they came together.”

source: people.com