Phyllis Newman

Phyllis Newman was born on March 19, 1933, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her parents, Rachel Gottlieb and Sigmund Newman, were from Lithuania and Warsaw, respectively, and worked in entertainment as a fortune teller and a graphologist/hypnotist in Atlantic City. Newman began performing at age four, impersonating Carmen Miranda. She attended Lincoln High School, where she was voted “Future Hollywood Star,” indicating an early aptitude for performance.

Newman’s career spanned over five decades, marked by significant achievements in various entertainment mediums. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 in *Wish You Were Here*. A notable milestone occurred in 1962 when she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Martha Vail in *Subways Are for Sleeping*, a victory over Barbra Streisand. She received a second Tony nomination in 1987 for *Broadway Bound*. Beyond her stage work, Newman became a recognizable television personality in the 1960s and 1970s, frequently appearing as a panelist on popular game shows such as *What’s My Line?*, *To Tell the Truth*, and *Match Game*. She also made numerous guest appearances on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson* and was the first woman to guest host the program.

In 1995, Newman established The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative of the Actors Fund of America, demonstrating her commitment to humanitarian causes. This initiative has raised over $3.5 million and supported 2,500 women in the entertainment industry. Her efforts were recognized with the first Isabelle Stevenson Award, a special Tony Award, in 2009. Newman’s film credits include *Picnic* (1955), *Mannequin* (1987), and *The Human Stain* (2003). She was married to lyricist and playwright Adolph Green from 1960 until his death in 2002 and was the mother of Adam Green and Amanda Green. Newman passed away on September 15, 2019, at the age of 86 from complications of a lung disorder.