Ranking the best Paul Newman films With a film career spanning over 50 years, Paul Newman is one of the most prolific actors of the past century. Before he died in 2008, Newman had 85 acting credits listed on IMDb, plus a handful of directing, producing, and writing credits. It's an impressive curriculum vitae for a man with humble beginnings in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Though he never finished drama school at Yale University, he landed his first significant role in "Picnic" on Broadway.