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Tony Goldwyn
Tony Goldwyn (48996884641) (1).jpg
Goldwyn in 2019
Born
Anthony Howard Goldwyn

(1960-05-20) May 20, 1960 (age 64)
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Actor
  • singer
  • producer
  • director
  • political activist
Years active 1986–present
Spouse(s)
Jane Musky
(m. 1987)
Children 2
Parents
Relatives
  • John Goldwyn (brother)
  • Francis Goldwyn (brother)
  • Samuel Goldwyn (paternal grandfather)
  • Frances Howard (paternal grandmother)
  • Sidney Howard (maternal grandfather)
  • Clare Eames (maternal grandmother)
  • Liz Goldwyn (paternal half-sister)
  • Peter Goldwyn (paternal half-brother)

Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), and had his breakthrough for starring as Carl Bruner in the fantasy thriller film Ghost (1990), which earned him a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to star as Harold Nixon in the biographical film Nixon (1995), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, and as Neil Armstrong in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998).

Goldwyn voiced the main character in the Disney animated film Tarzan (1999), and portrayed Colonel Bagley in The Last Samurai (2003), Johnathon "John" Collingwood in the horror film The Last House on the Left (2009), Andrew Prior in the Divergent film series (2014–2015) and Paul Cohen in King Richard (2021), the latter of which earned him a second nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. He starred as President Fitzgerald Grant III in the ABC legal/political drama Scandal (2012–2018) and directed a number of episodes for the series, for which he won a Peabody Award.

Early life

Goldwyn was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Jennifer Howard and film producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Goldwyn's paternal grandparents were mogul Samuel Goldwyn, a Polish Jewish immigrant from Warsaw, and actress Frances Howard, who was originally from Nebraska. His maternal grandparents were playwright Sidney Howard and actress Clare Eames. One of his maternal great-great-grandfathers was Maryland Governor and Senator William Thomas Hamilton. Goldwyn attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts (where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree), and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He additionally studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.

Career

Tony Goldwyn (14280747551)
Goldwyn accepting a Peabody Award in 2013

Following his departure from drama school, Goldwyn began acting in guest star roles in the mid-1980s. Goldwyn had his breakthrough for playing Carl Bruner, friend-turned-betrayer of Patrick Swayze's character Sam Wheat, in the fantasy thriller film Ghost. The film earned positive reviews, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. For his performance, Goldwyn earned a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. Goldwyn appeared on the comedy series Designing Women, in which he played a young interior designer named Kendall Dobbs, an HIV-positive man who was dying from AIDS and who asked the women of Sugarbakers to design his funeral. In the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, Goldwyn played astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11. He also voiced the title character in the 1999 animated feature film Tarzan which was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and grossed over $400 million. He reprised the role in the video games Disney's Tarzan Untamed and Kingdom Hearts.

Goldwyn had a recurring role on the NBC-Universal drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Frank Goren, brother of lead character Robert Goren, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. He also had acting and directing duties for the first season of Dexter for Showtime (brother John Goldwyn is executive producer). As a stage actor, Goldwyn has appeared twice in Off-Broadway shows at Second Stage Theatre and on Broadway at Circle in the Square Theatre. At Second Stage Theatre he appeared in Theresa Rebeck's Spike Heels (1992) alongside Kevin Bacon and Julie White. In the summer of 2006 at Second Stage Theatre he starred opposite Kate Burton in another Rebeck play, The Water's Edge. Goldwyn played J. D. Sheldrake, the philandering business executive, in the Broadway musical Promises, Promises starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. The cast recording was released on June 23, 2010, with Goldwyn in three tracks.

Goldwyn played Captain von Trapp (opposite Laura Osnes as Maria) in a concert performance of The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall on April 25, 2012. The benefit included opera singer Stephanie Blythe as the Mother Abbess, Brooke Shields as Baroness Schraeder and Patrick Page as Max. As a director, Goldwyn has directed four feature films, A Walk on the Moon, Someone Like You, The Last Kiss, and Conviction. He has also directed many episodes of television series such as Without a Trace, The L Word, Dexter, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. In 2014, he directed the pilot episode of the WE tv series, The Divide, of which he also served as executive producer along with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard LaGravenese. Goldwyn starred as President Fitzgerald Grant III in the ABC legal/political drama Scandal from 2012 to 2018. In 2013, Goldwyn was cast in the Lifetime original film, Outlaw Prophet, as Warren Jeffs. In 2014, he appeared in Divergent as Andrew Prior, Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Tris' (Shailene Woodley) father. In 2015, he signed on to star in James Gunn's horror thriller film The Belko Experiment. In June 2018, Goldwyn was cast as Ben Lefevre in the Netflix supernatural series Chambers. On 20 January 2021 during the inauguration of Joe Biden, Goldwyn was the host of the Virtual Parade Across America aired on television networks, organized by the Biden Inaugural Committee. Also in 2021, Goldwyn appeared in King Richard, which was acclaimed and earned several accolades.

Personal life

Goldwyn has been married to Jane Michelle Musky (born May 27, 1954), a production designer, since 1987. They have two daughters, Anna and Tess. Additionally, Goldwyn's brother John is a former executive of Paramount Pictures and the executive producer of Dexter. His brother Peter is also a film producer and the current President of Samuel Goldwyn Films. A former president of the Creative Coalition, Goldwyn is also heavily involved with arts advocacy. He is also a spokesperson of the AmeriCares Foundation.

Goldwyn was an avid supporter of Hillary Clinton and in 2016 directed a commercial featuring his Scandal co-star Kerry Washington, as well as Viola Davis, Ellen Pompeo, and Shonda Rhimes to support Clinton's presidential campaign. Goldwyn also serves as an ambassador for The Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted and reform the criminal justice system and on the Board of Governors for the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF).

Filmography

Tony Goldwyn March 18, 2014 (cropped)
Goldwyn at the film premiere of Divergent in March 2014

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives Darren
1987 Gaby: A True Story David
1990 Ghost Carl Bruner
1992 Kuffs Ted Bukovsky
Traces of Red Steve Frayn
1993 The Pelican Brief Fletcher Coal
1994 The Last Tattoo Capt. Michael Starwood
1995 The Last Word Stan
Nixon Harold Nixon
Reckless Tom Fitzsimons
Pocahontas: The Legend Sir Edwin Wingfield
1996 The Substance of Fire Aaron Geldhart
1997 Trouble on the Corner Jeff Stewart
Kiss the Girls Dr. William 'Will' Rudolph
1998 The Lesser Evil Frank O'Brian
1999 Tarzan Tarzan Voice
2000 The 6th Day Michael Drucker
Bounce Greg Janello
2001 An American Rhapsody Peter Sandor
2002 Abandon Dr. David Schaffer
Joshua Joshua
2003 The Last Samurai Colonel Bagley
Ash Tuesday Elliott
2005 The Godfather of Green Bay Big Jake Norquist
American Gun Frank
Romance and Cigarettes Kitty's First Love Uncredited
The Sisters Vincent Antonelli
Ghosts Never Sleep Jared Dolan
2009 PoliWood Himself Documentary
The Last House on the Left John Collingwood
2011 The Mechanic Dean Sanderson
2014 Divergent Andrew Prior
2015 The Divergent Series: Insurgent
2016 The Belko Experiment Barry Norris
2017 All I Wish Adam
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House Ed Miller
2021 King Richard Paul Cohen
2022 The People We Hate at the Wedding Dr. Goulding
2023 Plane Scarsdale
Murder Mystery 2 Silverfox
Oppenheimer Gordon Gray
Ezra Bruce
TBA Elevation TBA

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 St. Elsewhere Henry Episode: "Schwarzwald"
Matlock Dr. Mark Campion Episode: "The Doctors"
CBS Summer Playhouse Paul Episode: "Mabel and Max"
Designing Women Kendall Episode: "Killing All the Right People"
1988 L.A. Law Chris Arnett Episode: "Fetus Completus"
Hunter Byron Episode: "Murder He Wrote"
Favorite Son Tim Miniseries
Murphy Brown Bobby Powell Episode: "Respect"
1989 Dark Holiday Ken Horton Television film
1991 Tales from the Crypt Dr. Carl Fairbanks 1 episode
L'Amérique en otage Jody Powell Television film
1992 The Last Mile Scott Short
1993 Taking the Heat Michael Television film
Love Matters Geoffrey
1994 Doomsday Gun Donald Duvall
1995 Under Fire James Warren Pilot
A Woman of Independent Means Robert Steed Miniseries
Truman Clark Clifford Television film
1996 The Boys Next Door Jack Palmer
1997 The Song of the Lark Fred Ottenburg Short
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Neil Armstrong 2 episodes
2001 Frasier Roger Episode: "Love Stinks"
American Masters Himself Episode: "Goldwyn The Man and His Movies"
2004–2005 The L Word Burr Connor 2 episodes
2004 Without a Trace Greg Knowles / Rick Knowles 2 episodes
2006 Dexter Dr. Emmett Meridian Episode: "Shrink Wrap"
2007–2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Frank Goren 4 episodes
2009 The Good Wife Judge Henry Baxter Episode: "Lifeguard"
2011 Drop Dead Diva Alan Roberts Episode: "Closure"
2012 The Unknown Bill Watson Episode: "Spare the Child"
2012–2018 Scandal President Fitzgerald Grant III Main cast
2014 Outlaw Prophet Warren Jeffs Television film
2016 Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Bus Driver Episode: "Special: Full Frontal Election Documentary"
2019 Chambers Ben Lefevre Main cast (9 episodes)
Blue Sky Metropolis Narrator PBS miniseries (4 episodes)
2020 Lovecraft Country Samuel Braithwhite Episode: "Whitey's on the Moon"
2021 The Hot Zone: Anthrax Bruce Edwards Ivins 6 episodes

Video games

Year Title Voice role
1999 Tarzan Tarzan
2001 Tarzan: Untamed
2002 Kingdom Hearts

Director

Year Title Notes
1999 A Walk on the Moon Also producer
2001 Someone like You
2004 Without a Trace Episode: "American Goddess"
2004–2005 The L Word 3 episodes
2006 Grey's Anatomy 2 episodes
The Last Kiss
Law & Order Episode: "Thinking Makes It So"
2006–2007 Dexter 4 episodes
2007 Private Practice Episode: "In Which Sam Receives an Unexpected Visitor..."
Six Degrees Episode: "Ray's Back"
Kidnapped Episode: "Acknowledgement"
Alibi
Dirty ... Money Episode: "The Nutcracker"
2010 Conviction Also producer
Damages Episode: "Flight's at 11:08"
2010–2012 Justified 3 episodes
2011 Hawthorne Episode: "To Tell the Truth"
2012–2018 Scandal 9 episodes
2014 The Divide 2 episodes; also executive producer
2019 Chambers Episode: "In the Gloaming"
2023 Ezra Also producer

Audiobook

Year Title Author
1991 The Grifters Jim Thompson
1992 Tenth Commandment Lawrence Sanders
2000 Dead Irish (Dismas Hardy Series #1) John Lescroart
2005 The Millionaires Brad Meltzer
2007 The Devil in the White City Erik Larson
A Death in Vienna Daniel Silva
Kate Remembered A. Scott Berg
2008 Thunderstruck Erik Larson

Stage

Year Title Role Theatre
1988 Tom Jones Tom Jones
1989 The Sum of Us Jeff
1990 Carthaginians Hark
1991 Picnic Hal Carter
1992 Spike Heels Andrew Second Stage Theater
1994 Lady in the Dark Charley Johnson New York City Center
1995–1996 Holiday Johnny Case Circle in the Square Theatre
2006 The Water's Edge Richard Second Stage Theater
2010–2011 Promises, Promises J. D. Sheldrake Broadway Theatre
2010 24 Hour Plays Broadway Performer
Broadway Backwards 5
2012 The Sound of Music Captain von Trapp Carnegie Hall
2018 Network Max Schumacher Belasco Theatre
2020 The Inheritance Henry Wilcox Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Discography

Year Title Album Notes
2010 "Wanting Things" Promises, Promises
"Christmas Day" feat. Ashley Amber
"It's Our Little Secret" feat. Sean Hayes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1991 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Ghost Nominated
1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nixon Nominated
2010 Philadelphia Film Festival Philadelphia Film Festival for Audience Award — Honorable Mention Conviction Won
2013 Peabody Awards Excellence in Radio and Television Scandal Won
2014 Prism Awards Performance in a Drama Series Nominated
2022 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Ensemble King Richard Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Awards Best Cast Ensemble Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated

See also

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