Producer, actress, activist Susan Kendall Newman, daughter of Paul Newman, dies

Multi-hyphenate Susan Kendall Newman has died.

Susan Kendall Newman, the daughter of silver screen heartthrob Paul Newman, was 72 years old.

Her family recently announced in an obituary published by The New York Times via Legacy.com that she died on Aug. 2 of complications from chronic health conditions.

The Hollywood Reporter said she was the first daughter of Paul Newman and his first wife, Jackie White.

She was an actress who was featured in the 1978 Robert Zemeckis-penned and directed film “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” a movie that followed six teens trying to get into The Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Susan Newman also had a bit part in her father’s hockey film “Slap Shot” and appeared in “A Wedding” from Robert Altman.

She didn’t just appear in films; she was also on Broadway in “We Interrupt This Program...” a short-run production, only seven shows, which featured “gunmen” who would take over the Ambassador Theatre during a performance.

Susan Newman was also an award-nominated producer, including a family-friendly audiobook series of classical literature, which won her a Grammy nomination for best spoken word album for children, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Her work on the ABC Theatre presentations of Michael Cristofer’s “The Shadow Box” earned her a Golden Globe and a Humanities Award. She was also nominated for Emmy and Peabody awards, according to her obituary.

After the death of her brother Scott Newman from a drug overdose, their father started the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention. She joined the Scott Newman Foundation and became the organization’s executive director. She testified about drug abuse prevention in front of Congress and spoke at events at the Betty Ford Center, universities, hospitals and community groups.

She was also the president of the Entertainment Industry Foundation and started a consulting company that worked with government agencies, companies and nonprofits to help develop prevention programs, outreach and fundraising. She recently started speaking out on a variety of topics, including education, juvenile justice, conservation and health care.