Actress Susan Kendall Newman, the star of the Beatles tribute film I Wanna Hold You Hand and daughter of late legendary actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, died at the age of 72 in August after suffering complications from chronic health conditions, her family announced in an obituary published by the New York Times on Tuesday (October 7).

"Susan Kendall Newman will be remembered for her sharp wit and tongue, generosity and love, and her devotion to family and friends. She will be very much missed," the obituary states.

The actress, who Paul Newman shared with his first wife, Jackie Witte, began her career in on and off Broadway productions before landing the role of Janis Goldman in the 1978 film I Wanna Hold Your Hand as one of six teenagers who attempt to sneak into the Beatles' iconic first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. The film marked legendary director Robert Zemeckis' feature film directorial debut.

Newman would later appear as a pharmacist in the sports comedy Slap Shot alongside her father, who starred as a minor league hockey coach and alongside Desi Arnaz Jr., Carol Burnett and Geraldine Chaplin in the satirical comedy-drama A Wedding.

Newman later produced the ABC Theatre presentation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Shadow Box, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination and was nominated for the GRAMMY award for Best Spoken Word Album for children for a series of classical literature released by Simon & Schuster. The actress also followed in her father's footsteps as a lifelong philanthropist and social activist, working closely with his Scott Newman Foundation, a non-profit aimed to combat substance abuse, named in honor of her brother, Scott, who died of a drug overdose in 1978.

Jeffrey T. Mason