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A Star On Screen and Off: The Early Years of Paul Newman

Over his fifty plus year career, Paul Newman has won Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Cannes Awards for his work both as an actor and film director. But, don’t think that’s enough to tire this legend out. At 82 years old, Newman now spends his time devoted to Newman’s Own, the company he first founded as a practical joke, which has today becoming a shining example of corporate philanthropy. It has given away over $200 million since its inception, making Newman a star both on screen and off.

Newman’s Own Success: His Dual Career Takes Off

Success did not come immediately for the young actor struggling to stake his claim in Hollywood. After starring in a movie so bad that Newman himself took out a full-page ad in a newspaper to apologize to movie-goers, he returned home to his family in New York, where he again began acting on stage and television. He would go back and forth between New York and Hollywood, starring in various mediocre performances, until 1956, when at the age of 31, Newman finally got his big break.

Lesson #1: Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

Newman once pictured his own epitaph as reading: “Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown.” He may be one of the most successful on screen actors of our time, but to hear Newman speak you would never know it. Indeed, despite his iconic status, Newman credits his ability to laugh at himself and his reluctance to take himself too seriously as the single largest factor behind his success today.

Lesson #2: Pursuing the Common Good is Good for Business

“I had such a string of good fortune in my life,” says Newman. “Those who are most lucky should hold their hands out to those who aren’t.”

Lesson #3: Take Your Foot Off the Brakes and Drive!

Newman’s first law: “It’s useless to put on your brakes when you’re upside down.”

Lesson #4: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Keep Going

Newman's second law: “Just when things look darkest, they go black.”

Lesson #5: Finding the Key Ingredients is the Key to Success

“We didn’t know beans about beans at the beginning, but we had $40,000 and a challenge that we thought would be fun,” recalls Newman of starting up his own company. “We poked around and asked each other ‘What do you think of that? Salt? Yeah. Maybe a little. And more Lemon.’”

In His Own Words: Paul Newman’s Recipe for Success

“I have taken roads that I wished I had not traveled on,” says Newman. “And I’m traveling on some pretty exciting ones, too. Just hope when you get to that great racetrack in the sky that the balance will tip slightly into those things that you’d be proud of.” Today, Newman has much to be proud of. Not only has he left a legacy of films that have forever changed the landscape of American cinema, but he has donated over $200 million from the profits of Newman’s Own to thousands of different charities. What were the factors that led to Newman’s success both on screen and off?

Paul Newman Quotes

Paul Newman Quotes

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