William Goldman
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| William Goldman | |
|---|---|
| Name | William Goldman |
| Birth date | 1931-08-12 |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death date | 2018-11-16 |
| Death place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, Novelist, Playwright |
| Years active | 1957–2016 |
| Notable works | The Princess Bride; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; All the President's Men |
| Awards | Academy Awards; Writers Guild of America Awards; Edgar Award |
William Goldman was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter whose career spanned journalism, fiction, theater, and film. He wrote commercially successful novels and Academy Award–winning screenplays that influenced Hollywood storytelling, studio practice, and subsequent generations of writers. Known for a sharp ear for dialogue and an insider's chronicle of screenwriting, he also produced influential books on the film industry.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Goldman grew up in a Midwestern Jewish family before relocating with his family to St. Louis, Missouri and later to New York City. He attended Columbia University for undergraduate study, where he was exposed to Theatre and Literature scenes that shaped his early ambitions. After Columbia University, he pursued graduate work at Columbia College and completed a master's degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. During his formative years he connected with mentors and peers in the worlds of Broadway, Harper & Brothers, and regional bookstores that introduced him to publishing and dramatic writing.
Career
Goldman began his professional life in journalism and fiction, publishing short stories and novels that caught the attention of producers and directors in Hollywood. He transitioned to screenwriting in the 1960s, writing for the studio system centered in Los Angeles, California and working with production companies such as 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Bros. Pictures. His early breakout in film came through collaborations with directors and producers associated with the New Hollywood era, including George Roy Hill, Robert Redford, and Paul Newman in projects that blended genre innovation with character-driven drama.
In addition to original screenplays, Goldman adapted novels and stage plays for the screen, negotiating with studios, literary estates, and unions such as the Writers Guild of America during the development process. He maintained parallel careers as a novelist and playwright, publishing books and stage works while continuing to write screenplays for major directors like Frank Oz and producers like Ray Stark. Goldman also worked in television, contributing to anthology episodes and television movies tied to networks including NBC and CBS.
His insider account of Hollywood, written in a candid, accessible voice, became an influential source for understanding the role of the screenwriter within the industry, offering practical lessons about pitching, development, and the interplay between writers, directors, and studios.
Major works and adaptations
Goldman's notable original screenplays include the Oscar-winning screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford and directed by George Roy Hill. He also wrote the screenplay for All the President's Men, a political drama directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, adapted from the nonfiction book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Another signature work was the novel and later film-adaptation-turned-cultural touchstone, The Princess Bride, which he adapted into a screenplay and which was directed by Rob Reiner and starred Cary Elwes and Robin Wright.
Goldman’s adaptations ranged from literary works to historical subjects: he adapted Thomas Berger's novels, worked on projects drawing from William Burroughs and other contemporary authors, and engaged with studio efforts to translate established properties into film. Several of his novels, including Marathon Man, were adapted into high-profile films; the adaptation of Marathon Man starred Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier and was directed by John Schlesinger. Goldman also penned screenplays for comedies and family films, collaborating with filmmakers across genres and with actors such as Goldie Hawn and Harrison Ford.
Awards and recognition
Goldman received multiple prestigious industry awards during his career. He won Academy Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Best Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men. He earned honors from the Writers Guild of America and literary recognition including an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his work in crime fiction. Industry organizations such as the American Film Institute and festivals that celebrated screenwriting cited his contributions to screen craft and to the popularization of the screenwriter’s role.
His books about screenwriting and Hollywood development have been used in film schools and writing workshops at institutions such as UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where instructors and students referred to his principles on structure, characterization, and the economics of filmmaking.
Personal life and legacy
Goldman lived in New York City and maintained residences that kept him connected to both the East Coast literary community and the West Coast film industry in Los Angeles. He was married and had children; family relationships occasionally informed themes in his novels and screenplays. In later years he continued to write, lecture, and contribute essays to outlets and anthologies connected to Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and film criticism forums.
His legacy endures through enduring films that remain in distribution, through influence on screenwriters who cite his dialogue and plotting, and through educational use of his books on writing. Goldman’s combination of commercial success and candid commentary shaped how writers navigate adaptation, collaboration with directors such as Rob Reiner and Alan J. Pakula, and negotiations with studios like Warner Bros. Pictures and 20th Century Fox. He is remembered among peers including Paul Schrader, Robert Towne, and Nora Ephron as a model of craft and of an outspoken chronicler of Hollywood practice.