Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud,""Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" - and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario - has died. He was 83. Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends. In May, Newman had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues. He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus,""Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,""The Verdict,""The Sting" and "Absence of Malice." ******MORE IN COMMENTS******