Fans of the late Paul Newman will have the opportunity next year to read his memoirs, a book based on the actor’s recordings and interviews with loved ones.
Paul Newman, known as an actor, philanthropist and businessman, died of cancer in September 2008, at the age of 83.
The actor had begun recording his own oral history decades before his death, frustrated by the many biographies that appeared, without his approval. The recordings have now been transcribed and will be the backbone of the memoirs that will be released by the Knopf publishing house and have no title yet, according to the New York Times.
“What he recorded, and in fact what he wrote, was so honest and revealing,” Peter Geders, editor of Knopf, told the Times. “He showed this great story, a guy who was very, very troubled at the beginning of his life and as a young man, but as he grew up, he turned into the Paul Newman we like.”
The project is led by screenwriter Stuart Stern, one of Newman’s closest friends. In addition to interviewing Newman himself about the recordings, Stern also spoke with Newman’s wife, children, close friends, and regular associates, gathering a wealth of material to be part of the memoirs.
According to the Times, the recordings were completed about a decade before Paul Newman’s death and will chronicle the first years of his life, his troubled relationship with his parents and alcohol use, and the tragic death of his son. Scott, from drugs and alcohol.
In addition to exploring Newman’s rise to fame, the book is also said to paint a candid picture of his insecurities, including his jealousy of contemporaries such as James Dean and Marlon Brando.
The book is expected to be released next fall.
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