Susan Kendall Newman, an actress, producer, and longtime advocate for education and drug prevention, has died at age 72. Her family said she passed away on Aug. 2 from complications related to chronic health conditions.
Newman, the daughter of actor Paul Newman and his first wife, Jackie Witte, built a multifaceted career that spanned film, television, and philanthropy. After appearing on stage in New York, she made her screen debut in the 1970s with roles in Robert Zemeckis’s “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” Robert Altman’s “A Wedding,” and “Slap Shot,” a sports comedy starring her father.
Her work soon shifted behind the camera. In 1980, she produced ABC Theatre’s television adaptation of Michael Cristofer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Shadow Box,” directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward and Christopher Plummer.
The production earned a Golden Globe and a Humanitas Award, along with nominations for the Emmy, Peabody, and Grammy Awards. She later produced a family audiobook series of classic literature for Simon & Schuster, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
Beyond the entertainment industry, Newman became a prominent voice in public health and education reform. After her brother Scott’s death from a drug overdose in 1978, she joined the Scott Newman Foundation—founded by her father to combat substance abuse.
Rising to executive director, she oversaw prevention programs, educational films, and national awareness campaigns. She also testified before Congress, advised the California Department of Education, and spoke at universities and hospitals across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Newman’s later work expanded into civic and humanitarian efforts, focusing on conservation, juvenile justice, and health care. She collaborated with organizations including the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and VoteRiders on voter education and election protection initiatives. She also worked with Oregon Health & Science University on melanoma prevention and leukemia research, and supported environmental projects in Big Sur, California.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Newman founded the Newman Consulting Company, a consulting firm that advised government agencies and charitable organizations on prevention strategies and outreach campaigns.
“She was instrumental in shaping the philanthropic strategies of a private foundation and took pride in helping identify impactful grassroots organizations, support at-risk communities often overlooked by mainstream philanthropy, and develop innovative approaches to disaster relief through local endowments,” the obituary reads.
Newman is survived by her sisters Stephanie, Nell, Melissa, and Claire.