Why Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward Are “Relationship Goals” Even for New Generations

Hollywood love unions are like microwave dinners: they’re very quick, steamy, and stared at through glass by many people. But in the case of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, the purest feelings seem to have played the main role in their life story. This couple is a real rarity among Hollywood stars, and today we’d love for you to take a look at their memorable relationship, which remains an epitome of sincerity and devotion even after Newman’s death.

They were both grownups when they met.

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward first met in 1953, during the production of Picnic on Broadway. Their steamy romance developed over the following years and the couple said “I do” in 1958. This was the beginning of a long and happy journey, which lasted for 50 years, until Paul died in 2008. In Newman’s lifetime, the happy couple made 16 films together.

Even in their old, black-and-white photographs, the couple’s love is as obvious and passionate as if they were standing right in front of you. And this is one of the reasons the spouses were proclaimed “The Golden Couple of Hollywood.”

They managed 2 big careers while putting family first.

As Paul Newman’s star was rising, Joanne was devoted to raising their growing family. She managed to get some juicy roles as well as some Emmys for many TV productions over the years. One was for portraying a woman with Alzheimer’s disease in the 1985 film Do You Remember Love. Woodward herself was diagnosed with the disease in 2007.

Joanne later spoke in her interview about putting her family before her career. She said, “Initially, I probably had a real movie-star dream. It faded somewhere in my mid-30s when I realized I wasn’t going to be that kind of actor. It was painful. I curtailed my career because of my children. Quite a bit. I resented it at the time, which was not a good way to be around the children.”

They remained faithful to each other despite all the temptations.

Paul Newman was a heartthrob of his epoch, and even modern celebrities admit that. Once, Brad Pitt called him, together with George Clooney, “the most handsome men in the world.” It’s no wonder that there were many rumors about Paul’s multiple affairs.

He always stayed on top of it, and once, in his interview, he said, “I have steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?” His wife, however, was unimpressed, saying: “Every time I hear that line, I want to burst.”

But years later, when Newman was battling lung cancer and Woodward was adjusting to the real-life onset of Alzheimer’s, Paul said another memorable thing. “I feel privileged to love that woman,” he told a small gathering of their children and friends. “That I am married to her is the joy of my life.”