A mysterious creative who prefers nature to the public eye, a daughter following in her
father’s charitable footsteps, and a son lost far too soon.
Paul Newman left an indelible mark on Hollywood, but his true legacy resides with his children.
Here’s what happened to each of them.
Paul Newman and his first wife Jackie Witte's daughters, Susan and Stephanie, were born
in 1953 and 1954, respectively.
They only spent their early years with their famous father, as their parents separated in 1958.
Paul Newman met actor Joanne Woodward while appearing in the Broadway play Picnic in 1953.
In Paul Newman: A Life, author Shawn Levy explains that he tried to resist his attraction
to her for a while.
However, his affections won over and he later asked Jackie for a divorce so that he could
be with Woodward.
Jackie initially refused to end their marriage, but eventually agreed, taking her daughters
to California after the separation.
Like her father, Susan moved to New York City to become an actor when she was 21 years old.
She began her acting career using just her first and middle names professionally.
With an assist from her father, Susan had a small part in his ice hockey dramatic comedy Slap Shot.
She also appeared in the 1978 films I Want to Hold Your Hand and A Wedding.
Additionally, Susan did some behind-the-scenes work as a producer on the 1980 film Shadow Box.
Vanity Fair reports that Susan continues to work as a producer based in California, providing
her media expertise to charitable organizations.
Following her father's 2008 death, she has also been outspoken about protecting her father's
legacy in both his philanthropic work and through the Newman's Own food line.
According to Country Living magazine, Stephanie grew up spending summers in Westport, Connecticut
with her father, stepmother, and three half-sisters.
Unlike her siblings, Stephanie never really dabbled in the family businesses of acting
or philanthropy, and she seems to have steered clear of the limelight altogether.
Her sister Susan called Stephanie a "free spirit" in an interview with People in 1978,
and explained that she wrote, painted, and even spent a winter in a cabin in the woods.
Paul Newman's first daughter with Joanne Woodward was born Elinor Teresa Newman in April 1959.
She did a bit of acting when she was young, performing under the name "Nell Potts."
She appeared with her mother in 1968's Rachel, Rachel and 1972's The Effect of Gamma Rays
on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, both of which were directed by her father.
After graduating college, Nell went on to work for such organizations as the Environmental
Defense Fund, the Ventana Wilderness Sanctuary, and the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group.
The Nell Newman Foundation reports that Nell joined the Newman's Own team in 1993.
She was also the co-founder of Newman's Own Organics.
Despite her father's success, Nell had to work hard to get the new company off the ground.
"He said, 'I'll pay each of you $15,000 each, for a year's worth of research, and then you
gotta pay me back for all the startup costs.'"
Two years later, Nell shared her ideas in The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good
Life: Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live, which she wrote with Joseph D'Agnese.
According to Vanity Fair, Nell helped make Newman's Own Organics a pioneering brand in
its field and produced some of their leading organic products.
When her licensing deal with Newman's Own ended in 2014, she went on to focus on running
the Nell Newman Foundation.
For all the hard work and philanthropy she's contributed to the world, Nell has gained
widespread renown.
She lives in Northern California with her husband, Gary Irving.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's second daughter, Melissa, was born on September 27, 1961.
Like her siblings, she also tried her hand at acting early on.
In the 1970s, she had a role on the TV show Bonanza.
She also appeared alongside her mother in the TV movie See How She Runs.
Known as "Lissy," The New York Times reports that she went to study at Sarah Lawrence College
in New York, and graduated in 1988.
Also a gifted singer, she has performed many times over the years and even sung commercial
jingles, according to Country Living.
She was also a singer for the Westport, Connecticut restaurant the Dressing Room, which her father
helped establish next door to his local community theater, the Westport Country Playhouse.
In addition to her musical talents, Lissy volunteers her time in a program that brings
the arts to prisoners at the Bedford Women's Correctional Facility.
Lissy is married to teacher Raphael Elkind, and their two sons are Paul Newman and Joanne
Woodward's only grandchildren.
Lissy and Raphael reside in the same Westport, Connecticut home Lissy grew up in.
The youngest member of the family, Claire Olivia Newman was born in 1965.
She goes by the name Clea, and she told Independent.ie that one of her first memories is playing
in the yard of her childhood home in Westport.
Like her mother and sister Lissy, Clea also attended Sarah Lawrence College, then went
on to become a lawyer.
In the same interview with Independent.ie, she explained,
"I wanted to do good for others, and I wanted to protect people."
Clea soon became involved with her father's charitable efforts through the Newman's Own Foundation.
One of the foundation's special projects, the SeriousFun Children's Network, was started
to develop summer camps for children with serious illnesses.
"He kept looking at these children and saying, 'They're missing their whole childhood.'"
Clea is still involved with this cause today, remaining an ambassador for the organization
which now offers programs around the world.
Clea lives in Westport, Connecticut, with her husband, Kurt Soderlund.
He works as the CEO of Safe Water Network, which Clea's Father helped establish in 2006.
Paul Newman and Jackie Witte had their first child in 1950.
Their son, Allan Scott, arrived while Newman was still trying to get his big break.
Going by Scott, he was born in Cleveland, Ohio.
According to the biography Paul Newman: A Life, the family soon moved to New Haven,
Connecticut, so that Paul could attend Yale University's graduate theater program.
Vanity Fair reports that Scott struggled in school and got expelled several times for
poor behavior and substance abuse.
Scott tried to follow his father's famous footsteps as an actor.
He had a small part in 1974's disaster film The Towering Inferno and appeared on such
TV shows as Marcus Welby, M.D. and S.W.A.T.
One of his biggest roles was in the 1975 Western Breakheart Pass, where he acted alongside
Charles Bronson.
His last film was the 1977 college drama Fraternity Row.
The following year, Scott died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and drugs at a Los Angeles hotel.
Newman felt tremendous guilt after Scott's death.
After Scott's death, his father established the Scott Newman Center, which provided drug-prevention
programs for young people.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact
SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).