The Last Movie Stars

Director Ethan Hawke sets out to tell the story of Hollywood legends Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, enlisting contemporary actors to voice transcribed interviews from Newman's planned, but long-abandoned, memoir. In the 1950s, a young Paul and an even younger Joanne travel to New York to begin their acting careers -- fatefully crossing paths as understudies on Broadway. While Joanne finds early success and acclaim, Paul, a married father of three, struggles to find his way -- as the couple's intense attraction becomes an open secret among their close friends.

Finally able to go public with their relationship, newlyweds Paul and Joanne find success together with The Long Hot Summer – and Joanne takes home a Best Actress Oscar® for The Three Faces of Eve. But as the pressures of marriage and motherhood mount, Joanne’s career is put on hold, while Paul’s stardom, with praise for iconic turns in The Hustler and Hud, rises to new heights.

In the 1960s, Paul delivers some of his most memorable performances, achieving international celebrity through roles in "Cool Hand Luke" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." By tapping into struggles from his childhood in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Paul transforms into not only a Hollywood heartthrob, but a serious actor. Later, Joanne emerges from semi-retirement to star in "Rachel, Rachel," an early independent film directed by her husband.

In the late 1960s, Paul begins to use his position to advocate for social justice, becoming a leading voice against the war in Vietnam and campaigning for Senator Eugene McCarthy. At home, Paul's eldest son Scott struggles with addiction, while Joanne is forced to juggle her husband's drinking problem and alleged infidelities with her career-defining role in "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds."

Paul's alcoholism causes Joanne to deliver an ultimatum: get sober or get out. As the couple works on their relationship, Paul finds success with "Buffalo Bill and The Indians" and "Slap Shot," while Joanne delivers an acclaimed turn in Sybil. Soon, a temporary peace is shattered by a shocking family tragedy and Paul's subsequent involvement in a dangerous new hobby, racecar driving.

In the wake of their son's death, Joanne enters a career renaissance, returning to roles in TV and film and mentoring the next generation of Hollywood talent, while Paul dives deeper into the high-stakes world of car racing, with later performances in "The Verdict" and "The Color of Money" rekindling his love of acting. As the couple find solace in charitable work through their company Newman's Own, and as they enter their twilight years, it is their shared love for one another that proves their most enduring legacy.