The Extraordinary Life of Paul Newman: Photos

After six decades of Hollywood superstardom, it’s difficult to imagine that anything could remain unknown about Paul Newman. But that’s the particular magic trick of The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, a new memoir published nearly fourteen years after the actor’s death. Assembled by way of a literary scavenger hunt, the book, out now, is an extraordinary act of resurrection and reimagination.

Between 1986 and 1991, Newman sat down with screenwriter Stewart Stern for a series of soul-baring interviews about his life and career. With the actor’s encouragement, Stern also recorded hundreds of hours worth of interviews with his friends, family, and colleagues. The whole enterprise was destined to become Newman’s authorised biography, but his feelings on the project soured; in 1998, he gathered the tapes in a pile and set fire to them. Luckily, Stern kept transcripts—over 14,000 pages worth. The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man has come into being by way of Newman’s children, who with the aid of editor David Rosenthal streamlined those transcripts into a memoir. (Newman gave the project his blessing, saying with characteristic humility in one of his interviews with Stern, “It would be nice to straighten up the record if there is any interest in a biography.”)

The book reveals an honest and unvarnished portrait of the man behind those famous baby blues. For the first time, Newman speaks openly about his traumatic childhood, his lifelong struggle with alcoholism, and his tormenting self-doubt. But the highs are there too—like his 50-year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward—as well as the mysteries of making art, and the “imponderable of being a human being.” To celebrate the release of The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, we’re looking back on the actor's life in photos. They sure don’t make movie stars like this anymore.