A Portrait

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A Portrait of Joanne Woodward
Created by Callie, Megan, and Mary Catherine
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Biography Joanne Woodward was born in Thomasvill
e, Georgia on February 27th, 1930 with the full
name of Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward. She
was born in the middle of the Great Depression,
in a family that she describes as being a Joan
Crawford movie, Our Modern Maidens. She was a
natural movie lover, inheriting this from her
mother, Elinor Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward.
Although her father, Wade Woodward, disapproved,
he was not surprised that acting was her chosen
profession. Her first noteworthy encounter with
the movie world was when she was nine years old
at the premiere of the Gone with the Wind in
Atlanta, Georgia. Here, she got to meet one of
her favorite actors, Lawrence Olivier, in the
fateful occasion of jumping into his lap after
seeing him in his limousine. In her excitement,
she told him of her adoration. He remembered
this later in 1977 when they worked together in
the filming of Come Back Little Sheba.
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In the second grade, Woodward and her family
moved from the small town of Thomasville to live
in Marietta, Georgia. In Georgia, she won
several beauty pageants, her mother saying that
she was the prettiest girl in town. However,
Woodward claims it was only the first steps
toward her dream. Once in junior high, her
family moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where
she graduated from Greenville Senior High School
in 1947. Woodward attended Louisiana State Unive
rsity, in Baton Rouge, with a drama major from
1947 to 1949. She graduated and performed in
small plays and competed in contests such as the
Louisiana State University Darling Contest where
she ranked as runner up. After the two years in
college, her father was relocated to New York and
Joanna followed. She moved there and she pursued
her acting career with the aid of Sanford
Meisner. She modeled and played small roles on
television. As a member of the Actors Studio and
the Neighborhood Playhouse, Joanne was finally on
the brink of making it big.
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It was by chance that she met her future
husband, Paul Newman, when her agent introduced
her to the young and handsome, yet undiscovered
actor. Joanne claims that, though thinking he
was good looking, she did not like him at first.
Married to wife Jackie, he said, Jeez, what an
extraordinarily pretty girl, when they first
met. The two got closer over time while working
on the Broadway production of Picnic.
In 1955, Joanne received her first major debut
in Count Three and Pray. Paul Newman was given
the same fortune in his movie The Silver Chalice
in 1954. They found themselves in the same
social circles and their liking to each other
strengthened. They married in Las Vegas, January
29, 1958 after less than a week of his divorce.
Just a few months later, Joanne was awarded an
Academy Award for her talent in the Three Faces
of Eve, only her third screen role. Also in
1958, Joanne and Paul starred in their first
movie as a couple, The Long, Hot Summer.
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Woodward become a mother on April 8, 1959, when
she gave birth to Elinor Teresa Newman. Two
sisters soon followed with Melissa Newman on
September 17, 1961, and Claire Olivia Newman on
April 21, 1965. Both Woodward and Newmans
acting careers continued through the birth of
their daughters. Rachel, Woodwards most
acclaimed film, was released in 1968. This film
was directed by her husband. She was later
nominated for three Academy Awards, a New York
Film Critics Circle, and a Golden Globe. She won
three Emmys. In 1990, Woodward earned her
Bachelors Degree from Sarah Lawrence College.
Her daughter, Claire, attended Sarah Lawrence
College at the same time as her mother.
Woodward continued to stay busy in theatre,
film, and television. Currently, she directs and
stars in stage plays, and she is the artistic
director at the Westport Country Playhouse. She
gives back to community charities, such as The
Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a camp for children
with serious illness. In the past she has
donated a fair amount of money to the Greenville
Little Theatre, where she got her start. Today,
Woodward and her husband make their home in
Westport, Connecticut. Her talent took her far
in life and continues to do so.
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Interview with Sister Tate 1. What is your re
lationship with Joanne Woodward? Do you continue
to keep in contact with her? In high school w
e were in the same sorority, Phi Theta. We also
attended Christ Church together. After high
school, Joanne went to college, and Bob McClain,
the director of the Greenville Little Theatre,
helped her pursue her acting career. Today, we
do not keep in touch. The last time we saw each
other was the Greenville Little Theatres
production of The Glass Menagerie. We went to
lunch together and Paul Newman surprised his wife
with he and his daughters appearance at the
show. They disguised themselves by each wearing
a red wig.
2. What was Joanne Woodward like in high
school? What were her aspirations and how did
she attempt to fulfill them? Joanne was very f
riendly and smart, the typical beauty queen. She
was a very good student, very popular, and she
often had many dates. She knew right away what
she wanted to do, and she took advantage of her
opportunities. She was in all of the school
plays and dances.
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3. Did Joanne Woodward always want to pursue
acting, or was it something she fell into?
Joanne always wanted to pursue acting. She abs
olutely loved to act!
4. How was Joanne Woodward involved in the
community? Joanne was very involved in the Gre
enville Little Theatre productions. When they
built the new theatre, she came to the dedication
and donated 10,000 to the program.
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Trivia

• In 1960, Joanne Woodward was the first woman to
  receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Bette Davis is Woodwards all-time favorite
  actress.
  
• Laurence Olivier is her favorite actor.

• Joanne Woodwards trademark is playing mentally
  or emotionally disturbed women.

• At the Academy Awards, she wore her own
  hand-sewn dress that she made for 100.

• Joanne Woodward was born at 400pm EST.

www.joannewoodward.net
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Personal Quotes

• Who could direct you better than the person you
  live with? Paul knows everything there is to know
  about me. I wish he could direct every movie I
  ever do.

• I dont like getting myself in hot water. But
  suddenly I find that every minute I have to stop
  and think about what Im saying. I can see
  whats going to happen. Im going to have to
  stop giving interviews because Im always saying
  the wrong thing. I dont want that to happen.

• Being married to Paul is being married to the
  most considerate, romantic man.

• The September 11th tragedy forced us all to look
  at the world in a different way and it reminds us
  all of the importance of living every moment.

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Review of The Three Faces of Eve
In The Three Faces of Eve, directed by Nunnally
Johnson, the wide range of Joanne Woodwards
acting skills can be seen. Based on the actual
events that occurred during the first studied
case of multiple personalities, Joanne Woodward
portrays the three personalities of the main
character, Eve White. The story opens with Eve
White and her medical condition. She is
disturbed by the coming out of the mischievous
party girl, Eve Black. As the story deepens, the
audience discovers a new woman by the name of
Jane, who actually is the dominate and original
of the three personalities. While Eve is under
hypnosis, the viewers learn that an event in
Janes childhood was the catalyst that divided
her personalities. With medical assistance, Jane
is able to overcome her multiple personality
disorder.
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Photo Album
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Bibliography Maltin, Leonard. Biography for Joan
ne Woodward. 1994. Online Internet. 5
November 2003. bio This site is a detailed biography of
Joanne Woodward. Three Faces of Eve. 2003.
Online Internet. 5 November 2003.
1800149928cfinfointlus This site contains
a movie review of The Three Faces of Eve.
Wanda sic. Joanne Woodward - Miss Georgia.
2002. Online Internet. 5 November 2003.
This site
contains a detailed biography of Joanne Woodward
and also has many pictures.
http//greenvillehigh.greenville.k12.sc.us/index.a
sp
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• Callie Research, Biography, Interview, Typing,
  and Design
  
• Megan Research, Review, Typing, and Design
• Mary Catherine Research, Technical Development,
  Typing, and Design