By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, AP
June 12, 2008
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Paul Newman has cancer and is "doing all the right stuff" to battle the disease, his longtime neighbor and business partner said yesterday.
The legendary actor, 83, has recently appeared gaunt in photos, and dropped plans to direct a play in his Connecticut home town. Writer A.E. Hotchner, who partnered with Newman to start Newman's Own salad dressing in the 1980s, said the actor told him about the disease about 18 months ago. He did not specify what kind of cancer, but said Newman is in active treatment.
"I know that it's a form of cancer," Hotchner told the AP. "It's a form of cancer and he's dealing with it."
But last night, Hotchner told "Access Hollywood" he had no knowledge of Newman being treated for any illness. He confirmed the cancer report to Reuters.
Newman issued a statement late Tuesday that he's "doing nicely" but didn't specifically address questions about cancer.
The Oscar winner appeared to have lost weight when he was photographed during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race last month. Martha Stewart, in an entry dated Friday, posted a photo on her blog of herself with the actor, who looked thin, at a luncheon to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang camps for critically ill children.
Newman won an Oscar for his leading role in 1986's "The Color of Money." His screen credits also include "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Verdict" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
Hotchner said Newman had an operation a few years ago. "It was certainly somewhere in the area of the lung," he said.
"He's battling," Hotchner said. "He's doing all the right stuff. Paul is a fighter. He seems to be going through a good period right now."
Asked about his prognosis, Hotchner said, "Everybody is hopeful. That's all we know."
In 1982, Hotchner and Newman started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $200 million, according to its Web site.
Last month, officials at Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse cited unspecified health issues when they announced that Newman would not direct "Of Mice and Men" this fall.
Newman lives in Westport with wife Joanne Woodward.
"I think he's feeling quite well," said actor James Naughton, who spoke to Newman on Monday night.
