Joanne Woodward Turns 94: Inside Her Private Life after Retreating from Public Eye Due to Alzheimer's

Joanne Woodward, celebrated for her contributions to the Golden Age of Hollywood and her enduring marriage to the late Paul Newman, has led a life filled with both personal and professional success. As she turns 94, Woodward's battle with Alzheimer's, spanning over a decade, adds a poignant chapter to her storied legacy.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on February 27, 1930, Woodward won many beauty contests as a teen, but all she wanted to do was become an actress.

As soon as she was old enough, Woodward attended Louisiana State University, where she majored in drama. After performing in small plays, Woodward moved to New York, where she studied acting with Sanford Meisner.

Roles in theater and television productions soon followed, and it was around this time that she was introduced to Paul Newman by her agent in 1953. Her journey to stardom began with her breakout role in the 1955 film “Count Three and Pray.”

Professional Achievements

In 1957, Woodward's portrayal in “Three Faces of Eve” earned her an Oscar for Best Actress, marking the beginning of a distinguished career with 44 nominations and 29 award wins.

Alongside Newman, she starred in 16 films, contributing to their collective achievements, including four Emmys, two Academy Awards, and numerous classic movies.

By 1960, she had earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Despite her Alzheimer's diagnosis, Woodward continued to contribute to the arts, performing voiceovers in five projects from 2010 to 2013, with “Lucky Them” being her last.

"She released her ego to become a stepmother and then a mother, only to have his career explode. And she didn't expect what the industry would do to her once she started being a mother. Her life as an actor was deeply affected," said Ethan Hawke, whose projects on the two star’s lives, “The Last Movie Stars,” and the posthumous memoir, “The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man,” were released in 2022.

Marriage to Paul Newman

Newman and Woodward shared an unbreakable bond that lasted 50 years until his death. He reportedly referred to her as “one of the last great broads,” and she often said he was “the most considerate, romantic man.”

Married shortly after Newman's divorce in 1958, they raised three daughters together—Clea, Nell, and Melissa—while Newman had two daughters, Stephanie and Susan, and a late son, Scott, from his first marriage.

Their union, though not without its difficulties, including Newman's struggles with drinking, remained unbreakable, with both partners always finding their way back to each other.

“They could have their knockdown, drag-out fights, but they always came clinging back to each other,” their daughter Melissa said in 2023.

Their daughter Clea elaborated on their bond in 2021. “They respected each other and laughed more than any couple I have ever known,” she mused.

Woodward's Battle with Alzheimer's

Woodward's personal experience with Alzheimer's, a disease she once portrayed in the 1985 television movie “Do You Remember Love,” became a reality in 2007.

Woodward’s diagnosis came nine days before Newman’s terminal cancer diagnosis. The following year, on September 26, 2008, Newman died at age 83.

“She barely speaks anymore and hardly ever recognizes her own daughters or grandchildren. It’s heartbreaking to see her this way,” a family insider lamented.

Her condition has since progressed, requiring round-the-clock care and leaving her with limited recognition of her loved ones.

“Her health is deteriorating rapidly. Joanne will occasionally say she used to be married to someone handsome, but that’s it. She doesn’t even remember the love of her life,” a family insider said in 2015.

Reflections on Love and Life

Woodward last made a red carpet appearance in April 2012, alongside her daughter Claire, as they attended A Celebration of Paul Newman’s Dream. However, her children also post updates about her from time to time.

In 2022, Woodward was shown doing the jitterbug with one of her grandchildren, and received a special Mother’s Day shoutout the same year.

“Happy Mother’s Day to my best friend of a lifetime. A woman whose intelligence, compassion, patience, and creativity never cease to amaze me,” her daughter Nell wrote alongside a picture of the two hugging and smiling.

Although motherhood affected her career negatively, it had the opposite effect on the experiences of her children, as Woodward’s daughter Nell shared in a 2023 Mother’s Day post.

“She raised three of her own children and three of Pops' as well, giving up a part of her career in the process. I feel blessed to have received her love and affection throughout my life,” Nell wrote alongside a throwback picture of Woodward.

As Joanne Woodward turns 94, her life story—encompassing stellar achievements in film, a legendary romance, and a dignified battle with Alzheimer's—continues to inspire.

With Woodward’s memories fading more and more, her children wanted Ethan Hawke’s project, "Last Movie Stars," completed while she is still alive so she can be reminded of the life she had led and to support her.