In this episode we spoke to Melissa Newman – daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward – about her father’s posthumous memoir, 'Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man.'

Created from transcripts of recordings originally made by Paul in the 1980s, these candid, reflective and deeply personal reminiscences are interspersed with excerpts of interviews from friends, family and colleagues – among them directors John Huston, Robert Altman and Elia Kazan; fellow actors Tom Cruise, Eva Marie Saint and Robert Wagner; and of course, Joanne Woodward herself – who was married to Newman from 1958 until his death in 2008. The result is a unique insight into one of the most iconic film actors of the twentieth century.

In our conversation, Melissa spoke about her father’s complex personality; the sometimes painful, sometimes funny experience of excavating her parents’ past; the knottier truth hidden beneath the ostensibly perfect family exterior; Ethan Hawke’s recent documentary about her parents, The Last Movie Stars; as well as Paul’s insecurities as an actor and his conflicted relationship with fame.

She was as open, charming, frank and funny as her father, rightly emphasising his many virtues while also unafraid to acknowledge his flaws.