Actress Joanne Woodward has made a name in Hollywood history with a career spanning decades. Born on February 27, 1930, in Thomasville, Georgia, she’s left an indelible mark on the silver screen, earning herself a well-deserved spot among Tinseltown’s elite.
Hollywood Life’s recent article entitled, “Joanne Woodward’s Health: Her Alzheimer’s Battle & How She’s Doing Today,” reports that her journey to stardom began in the 1950s when she caught the eye of audiences and critics with her captivating performances in such TV productions as the Goodyear Playhouse and Hitchcock Presents.
Her excellent skills transferred over to film, where her breakthrough role came in portraying a woman with multiple personalities in 1957’s The Three Faces of Eve. The part would garner her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Woodward’s love story with the late icon Paul Newman, her husband and fellow acting legend, is a Hollywood fairy tale off-screen. Their love endured for more than 50 years. The couple would star together in a number of films, such as The Long Hot Summer, Paris Blues and A New Kind of Love.
However, Joanne has had her own health struggle recently. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007, just days before Paul was diagnosed with cancer.
The Oscar winner has maintained a very low profile in her later years. As a result, the details about when she began suffering symptoms are unclear.
During the promotional campaign for The Last Movie Stars, director Ethan Hawke mentioned that Joanne was still able to enjoy the film, saying, “That’s why the family wanted me to do [the film] now; they wanted it to come out while she’s still alive and can see this, to support her.”
The movie also reported that Joanne was “living with her family in Connecticut.”
In April 2023, a source told Ok! Magazine: “At this point, the best that can be done for Joanne is to keep her comfortable while waiting for the inevitable. It’s a tribute to her courage and determination she has lived with this debilitating disease as long as she has.”
It is my hope that she completed her estate plan long before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Properly drafted estate planning documents can serve to avoid guardianship and provide for an easier transfer of wealth to the next generation. I salute her for her courage and impact on the film industry.
Reference: Hollywood Life (Oct. 10, 2023) “Joanne Woodward’s Health: Her Alzheimer’s Battle & How She’s Doing Today”
