# Name a great artist who wasn't a tortured soul.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-great-artist-who-wasnt-a-tortured-soul/347138>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 5, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-great-artist-who-wasnt-a-tortured-soul/347138 "2006-03-05T15:45:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-great-artist-who-wasnt-a-tortured-soul/347138/61 "2006-03-09T18:33:00Z")

</div>

> [@mbh](#):
>
> Christopher Walken. I don’t know much about him, but I have read that he has been happily married for a couple of decades. In the one interview I ever read, he seemed a little ditzy, but on the whole, cheerful, down-to-earth, and well-adjusted.

If we’re counting actors, look at Paul Newman. I believe he did have a son who died, but he’s been married to Joanne Woodward since the late 50’s. He still races cars, gives a crapload of money to charity, and seems to have a very happy and peaceful life. (I think he may have served in World War II, however, although I don’t know how much that affected his life.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-great-artist-who-wasnt-a-tortured-soul/347138/62 "2006-03-09T18:48:11Z")

</div>

> [@The Punkyova](#):
>
> As far as I know, only one of his daughters wrote anything about him, a fairly pleasant book of letters they exchanged. His son wrote a lot about him, and let’s just say their relationship was conflicted. (Arthur - named after Harpo, Groucho’s favorite brother - wrote a fair number of celebrity biographies, not always kindly. His bio of Bob Hope is incendiary.)
> 
> There are several decent biographies of Groucho, some of which he collaborated on to some extent. The one by Hector Arce is a bit dated (he has a very Freudian view of the Marx family) but very thorough. The general consensus is that he wasn’t a happy man.

Not too surprising. He said right there in _Groucho and Me_ that he was something of a misanthrope, and it fits with his persona and sense of humor.

By the way, **Punkyova** , I ordered _Harpo Speaks_ and _Memoirs of a Mangy Lover_ from the book store on Tuesday. They may be waiting for me when I get home, and I’m sure I’ll have them by the weekend.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-great-artist-who-wasnt-a-tortured-soul/347138.md?page=3)