Tony Goldwyn

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Biography

Actor, director, producer Tony Goldwyn is taking multi-tasking to a new level. Currently starring as President Fitzgerald Grant in Shonda Rhimes' hit series "Scandal," -- now in its fourth season -- Goldwyn has other projects in the works as well. He recently took on the controversial figure Warren Jeffs, starring in the Lifetime movie, "Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs." Produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan. He also co-created and executive produced a series "The Divide" for AMC Studios. Goldwyn directed the two hour pilot while partner Richard LaGravenese wrote the series. "The Divide" had its eight-episode debut in 2014 on WEtv. Previously while on hiatus from "Scandal," Goldwyn filmed the highly feature "Divergent" based on the book by Veronica Roth. The Summit Entertainment film was #1 at the box office opening weekend. In addition to acting on the show, Goldwyn has directed episodes of "Scandal" in the second, third and fourth seasons of the series. Other television directing credits include prestigious programs such as "Dexter," "Justified," "Law & Order," "Damages," "Grey's Anatomy" and "The L Word," among others. Goldwyn made an auspicious feature directorial debut with "A Walk on the Moon" starring Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen. The film premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive universal praise from critics. Goldwyn first read Pamela Gray's script five years earlier and shepherded it through multiple drafts until Dustin Hoffman came on board as a producer and got the project financed. Coincidentally when Gray originally wrote the screenplay as her Master's Thesis at UCLA Film School, she won the prestigious Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award - an honor established by Goldwyn's paternal grandfather, the legendary film producer. Additional feature directing credits include "The Last Kiss," based on Gabriele Muccino's "L'Ultimo Bacio," for which Goldwyn received Best Director from the Boston Film Festival and the romantic comedy "Someone Like You." His last effort, "Conviction," earned Hilary Swank a SAG Award nomination, won Best Film at the Boston Film Festival and was awarded a Freedom of Expression honor from the National Board of Review. As an actor, Goldwyn first caught audiences' attention with his portrayal of the villain in the box office smash "Ghost." He went on to appear in numerous other films including "The Pelican Brief" with Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, "Kiss The Girls," Oliver Stone's "Nixon," "The Substance of Fire," "The Last Samurai" opposite Tom Cruise and the recent remake of Wes Craven's classic "The Last House on the Left." He is also familiar to children as the title voice in Disney's animated feature "Tarzan." His other television acting credits include "The Good Wife," "Dexter," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Without A Trace," "The L Word," the HBO Mini-Series "From The Earth To The Moon," "Frasier," "Murphy Brown" and "Designing Women," where he touchingly portrayed the first AIDS victim on a prime time series. Goldwyn began his acting career on the stage, spending seven seasons at the Williamstown Theater Festival. His New York theater credits include "The Water's Edge" at the 2nd Stage Theater, "The Dying Gaul" at the Vineyard Theater, "Holiday" at The Circle in the Square opposite Laura Linney, "Spike Heels" with Kevin Bacon at 2nd Stage, "The Sum of Us" at the Cherry Lane Theater, for which he earned an Obie Award and "Digby" at the Manhattan Theater Club. His most recent stage credit was starring in the revival of the hit musical "Promises, Promises" on Broadway. Through his philanthropic work, Goldwyn co-chairs the Artists' Committee for the Innocence Project, is an Ambassador for the humanitarian relief organization Americares and is a Trustee for the Second Stage Theater.

Movies

TV

Books

Trivia

Daughters named Anna Musky-Goldwyn and Tess Frances Goldwyn.

In the HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon" , he played astronaut Neil Armstrong , first man to walk on the moon. Later, he had the chance to direct Armstrong in a film called A Walk on the Moon , in which Armstrong was a narrator.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1990" in John Willis Screen World, Vol. 42.

Attended Brandeis University, Massachusetts

Attended Hamilton College, New York

Son of actress Jennifer Howard and producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr.. Grandson of actress Clare Eames and playwright Sidney Howard on his mothers side; grandson of actress Frances Howard and producer Samuel Goldwyn on his fathers side.

Brother-in-law of actress Colleen Camp.

Younger brother of Paramount Studios president John Goldwyn.

He won an Obie Award in 1991 for his performance in "The Sum of Us".

His grandfathers, Samuel Goldwyn and Sidney Howard , were frequent collaborators for many years. They worked on a total of eight films together: Bulldog Drummond , Raffles (1930) , One Heavenly Night , Arrowsmith , The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932) , and Dodsworth .

Uncle of Emily Goldwyn.

He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Tonys paternal grandfather, who was born in Warsaw, was from a Polish Jewish family. Tonys other ancestry is Irish, English, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), Scottish, and German.

Half-brother of Liz Goldwyn and Peter Goldwyn.

California Democrat.

He is left-handed.

Quotes

I got skewered through the chest after uttering about three words.

(referring to his inauspicious film debut in,Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) ).

My two daughters live on Facebook, and social media is their mode of communication.

Life is a very emotional experience. .

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