promotional photo of Paul Newman c. 1963, MGM
Birth Name: Paul Leonard Newman
Date of Birth: January 26, 1925
Place of Birth: Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Date of Death: September 26, 2008
Place of Death: Westport, Connecticut, U.S.
Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*Slovak (mother)
Paul Newman was an American actor, film director, businessperson, racing driver and team owner, environmentalist, activist, and philanthropist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Color of Money (1986). He was one of the greatest Hollywood stars.
Paul’s father, Arthur Sigmund Newman, was Ashkenazi Jewish, from a family from Hungary and Poland. Paul’s mother, Theresa (Fetsko, later Fetzer), who practiced Christian Science, was born to a Slovak Roman Catholic family at Homonna, Ptičie, formerly Pticsie, in the former Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Humenné in Slovakia. He was not religious for most of his life. He had said, “I’ve always thought of myself as a Jew because it is harder.”
Paul was married to actress Joanne Woodward, until his death. Paul had three children, including actor Scott Newman, with his former wife, Jackie Witte; and three children, including actresses Nell Newman and Melissa Newman, with Joanne.
Paul’s paternal grandfather was named Simon Wolf Newman (the son of Joseph Newman and Hannah or Adel Edlisz/Roth). Simon was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant.
Paul’s paternal grandmother was named Hannah Cohn (the daughter of Selig Lazarus Israel Cohn and Bena). Hannah was a Polish Jewish immigrant.
Paul’s maternal grandfather was Štefan/Stephen Fecko/Fetsko (the son of George Fetsko and Mary Orgvanyi). Štefan was an ethnic Slovak. He born in either Hungary or Bohemia.
Paul’s maternal grandmother was Mária/Mary Polinak/Polenak or Hoczman. Mária/Mary was Slovak. She born in either Hungary or Bohemia. Mary Polinak was the daughter of Stephen Polinak and Mary Urban. Mária Hoczman was the daughter of Michael Holzman and Catharina Vojtun.
Sources: Genealogy of Paul Newman – http://www.geni.com
Pictures and genealogy of Paul’s family – http://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Paul Newman (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com
Death record of Paul’s father – https://www.familysearch.org
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