The other day, I was watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (as part of my quest to watch all of the AFI top 100), and for a lark, I’ll called my nephew in. “You recognize that guy?” I asked him.
“No.”
“That’s Paul Newman. He’s the guy on the salad dressing bottle.”
“Really? Oh yeah! He was in movies?”
I laughed, but it made me think - in, say, 50 years, will Paul Newman be thought of as more of a Chef Boyardee type mascot than an actor?
I doubt it. Newman’s body of work in film is too large and too influential. If anything, he’ll be known as a philanthropist and do-gooder rather than as a mascot/face on the bottle.
His work is already pretty much forgotten. I have some of his films and enjoy them. But his style doesnt really translate to modern times. He was more a pretty boy then a bad boy. But at least most of his films told a good story and were well made.
How old is your nephew?
Paul Newman has made too many great movies such as “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy” to be forgotten. He’ll be forgotten when Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood are.
Denis Leary’s new show “Sex, Drugs & Rock n’ Roll” played with this concept. He and his 21-year-old daughter are taking an “identify the celebrity” quiz and she identifies Paul Newman as a farmer.
You mean that car racer guy?
I’m in my early thirties and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen any of his films.
The first two are already pretty much forgotten.
Newman will absolutely be forgotten within 20 years. You older people have a skewed idea of what’s relevant. Don’t worry, I’ll get off your lawn.
Well, he gets his own US postage stamp later this year, and you know how all the kids love snail mail!
They are not forgotten. They are unknown to some younger people. There is a difference.
Paul Newman was part of the last generation of true movie stars. He was in quite a lot of famous, well-regarded movies. As long as there is cable tv and/or streaming video, people will be watching those movies. He will not be forgotten any more than Clark Gable or Steve McQueen.
You younger people have a skewed idea of what you like right now equalling relevant. You’ll grow out of that notion some day.
You mean like last Friday? 
Since this board is public to the entire world (but maybe not Bangladesh soon?) and no restrictions were placed in the OP, I’d say the majority of people already don’t know Paul Newman was an actor.
Sweet! I knew it was soon but time flies when you’re older. I should go get some now…
I suspect he’ll live well regarded around hockey fans, at the very least. Hard to be one and not see “Slap Shot” at some point. 
Most younger people, and that will only increase as time goes by, until…
I’d bet that the majority of people under 30 wouldn’t recognize a picture of Paul newman (say from a jar of his spaghetti sauce).
I’d further bet that a majority of people under 25 (maybe up to 35) have never seen a Paul Newman film. so i guess the answer is 1990 + 50 years (2040) or 1955 + 80 years (2035). 2035 to 2040.
Who and who?
Look, people are going to forget (as in: only officianados and trivia buffs will know) all but the tiniest number of “great” and popular performers.
My off-the-cuff guess is that anyone born after the period when an actor was “on the top” is unlikely to remember/know the actor beyond “he/she is in some movies my parents like.” Anyone born after the actor has ‘retired’ (or died) is really unlikely to remember the actor at all.
Look, I love Paul Newman. Butch Cassidy is one of my all-time favorite movies. I’m a smart, well-cultured, and modest 35 year old, and you know how many of my similarly and younger-aged friends have seen that movie (or The Sting, or Cool Hand Luke)? Bordering on none, and I bet if I polled my friends 28 and younger, not a single one of them have seen anything he’s ever done, and if by chance they have they don’t have any idea that they’ve seen Paul Newman.
Clark Gable is only remembered because Gone With The Wind has had such a lasting impact in pop culture. If it weren’t for that one film, no one born after 1970 (again, aside from film/trivia buffs) would have any idea who he is.
He regretted making that movie. He thought it too raunchy. Yet it will probably be the one he is most remembered for. His problem might be that his films were topical. They were relevant when released but not so much now. The Hustler is a great film but who hustles pool these days? Who remembers Exodus? We should because we are reliving it at this moment in Europe. His Harper films were very good but for some reason ignored by noir fans. Maybe he didnt have the right blend of toughness, romanticism and cynicism.
He’s fourteen.
Honestly, I once heard one kid tell another: “Wow, Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings.” So…
However, I think that film made since Newman hit it big is likely to be seen as long as films are watched, his rep will endure amongst such people, but as the OP said a majority, we may be there soon.
I should say that a lot of actors got “lost” in the transitions from B+W to color, and before that from silent to “talkies”.