HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A longtime friend of Paul Newman has confirmed that the 83-year-old Hollywood legend is battling cancer.
Writer A.E. Hotchner, who partnered with Newman to start Newman’s Own salad dressing company, tells the Associated Press that Newman told him he had the disease about 18 months ago.
Hotchner, who is also Newmans’ longtime Westport, Conn. neighbor, did not disclose the type of cancer that his friend is battling.
It’s a form of cancer and he’s dealing with it.” he told AP.
Many have speculated about the actor’s health in the past month. In May, the Westport Country Playhouse announced that Newman would not direct “Of Mice and Men” in the fall, citing health reasons. He also appeared frail in a photograph taken while he attended a practice session for the Indianapolis 500.
A statement released from the actor late Tuesday said that he’s “doing nicely.”
Newman won an Academy Award for his portrayal of “Fast” Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese’s 1986 film “The Color of Money.” His other notable films include “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” “The Verdict,” and “Road to Perdition.”
In May 2007, he announced that he was retiring from acting, telling “Good Morning America:” “I’m not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to. You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that’s pretty much a closed book for me… I’ve been doing it for 50 years. That’s enough.”
Newman is also well known for his philanthropy, having created his own brand of foods in which he donates all of the company’s profits to charity. To date, more than $220 million has been raised by the legendary star.
“He’s battling,” Hotchner told AP. “He’s doing all the right stuff. Paul is a fighter.”
