Hollywood legend Paul Newman dies aged 83

Hollywood superstar Paul Newman has died of cancer at the age of 83, according to his spokeswoman.

Marni Tomljanovic said that he died at home on Friday, following months of speculation about his failing health.

The blue-eyed star was best known for his roles in such classic films as Paul Newman, The Sting, The Towering Inferno and The Hustler.

He was nominated for an Oscar 10 times, eventually winning the Best Actor trophy in 1987 for The Hustler sequel The Color Of Money, which also starred Tom Cruise.

He also won another two Oscars - an honorary award in 1986, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994, for his charitable work.

Most recently, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 2002's Road To Perdition, as well as voicing the racing car Doc Hudson in the 2006 Pixar hit Cars.

However in 2007 he said he was retiring from acting because he could no longer perform to the best of his ability.

"I'm not able to work any more... at the level that I would want to," he told US broadcaster ABC.

"You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention.

"So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me."

However speculation about his health mounted earlier this year when he pulled out of directing a stage production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men. Newman blamed the decision on "unspecified health problems".

As well as his distinguished acting career, Newman was renowned for his charity work. His achievements including establishing summer camps for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses, while profits from his Newman's Own food range were donated to a number of charitable causes.

He also established the Scott Newman Foundation, which aimed to make young people aware of the dangers of drugs, following the tragic death of his son Scott from an overdose in 1978.

He is survived by five children, two grandsons, his older brother Arthur and his actress wife Joanne Woodward. The pair famously had one of the longest marriages in Hollywood, celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2008.

CLICK below to watch Paul Newman in a clip from Butch Cassidy