William Goldman

Who is William Goldman?

William Goldman was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who was well-known for his writing skills. He started writing from his college days when he took up a writing course. Eventually, he wrote playwrights for the theatre and eventually became the screenwriter of films. Likewise, he has also published various famous novels such as ‘The Princess Bride’ in 1973, ‘All the President’s Men’ in 1976, and many more. Talking more, one of his famous screenplay movies is ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ in 1969 for which he has won the Oscar. Moreover, he was also one of the richest screenwriters during his time. Sadly this novelist died at the age of 87 due to his health issues.

Bio

William Goldman was born on 12 August 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He was born to his father Maurice Clarence Goldman, who was a successful businessman but due to his alcoholism behavior, his business went down. Likewise, his mother was Marion (née Weil), who had a problem with hearing. He also has a brother named James Goldman who is also a screenwriter. William belonged to a Leo zodiac sign.

Early Life/Education

William Goldman faced many problems during his high school. His father killed himself and his mother had a hearing problem. Talking about his education, he attended a local school. Likewise, he enrolled at Oberlin College and received a BA degree in 1952. He then worked as a clerk and after few years he received his MA degree at Columbia University in 1956.

Nationality and Physical Stats

William Goldman was of American nationality belonging to White ethnicity. He was raised in a Jewish family so his religious views were Judaism. Besides, he stood 7 feet and 6 inches (1.8m/1.80cm) and weighed around 68 kg (150lbs). Moreover, he had a pair of brown-colored eyes and dark brown hair color.

Personal Life 

William Goldman tied a knot with model Ilene Jones in 1961. They were blessed with two daughters Jenny and Susanna. Sadly, they divorced in 1991.

Death

William Goldman passed away at the age of 87 due to colon cancer and pneumonia. He died on 16 November 2018 in Manhattan.

Career

Early Career and Theatre Writing

William Goldman became interested in writing from his college days when he signed up for creative writing. His first novel was ‘The Temple of God’ released in 1957 which launched his career. Likewise, he then wrote ‘Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow’ in 1958 and ‘Soldier in the Rain’ in 1960. After this, he wrote a musical book ‘Tenderloin’ in 1960 and it was followed by theater play writings like ‘Sweat and Stanley Poole’ in 1961, ‘A Family Affair’ in 1962, ‘Boys and Girls Together,’ and many more.

Novels

Talking about William’s novel he has written different genres of stories. To name a few they are ‘Boys and Girls Together’ and ‘No Way to Treat a Lady’ in 1964, ‘Father’s Day’ in 1971. Likewise, he has also written a novel for ‘The Princess Bride’ in 1973 which is also adopted as a film. His last novel plays are ‘Heat’ in 1985 and ‘Brothers’ in 1986.

Screenplays of Goldman 

William Goldman’s debut screenplay film is ‘Masquerade’ in 1965. He then wrote ‘Harper’ in 1966 for which he received Edgar Award. Likewise, in 1969 his screenplay film named ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ released. This film was a huge hit and he also received the Oscar for his writing. Moreover, he then wrote the script for other films such as ‘The Hot Rock’ in 1972, ‘The Stepford Wives,’ ‘The Great Waldo Pepper’ in 1975, and ‘Marathon Man’ in 1976. William is also known for his screenplay in ‘All the President’s Men’ in 1976 which again earned him the Oscar. His other notable work in the movie is ‘The Princess Bride’ in 1987. This is based on his novel which starred Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Peter Falk, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Christopher Guest.

Furthermore, his 1990s film screenplay writings are ‘Memoirs of an Invisible Man,’ ‘Chaplin’ in 1992, ‘Maverick’ in 1994, ‘The Chamber,’ ‘The Ghost and the Darkness’ in 1996, ‘Absolute Power ‘ in 1997, and many more. He also became a consultant for movies like ‘Good Will Hunting’ in 1997, ‘Extreme Measures’ in 1996, and ‘Dolores Claiborne’ in 1995. Similarly, he also had his screenplay in ‘Hearts in Atlantis’ in 2001 and ‘Dreamcatcher ‘ in 2003 which is a novel by Stephen King. His latest screenwriting script is ‘Wild Card’ in 2015 alongside Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Milo Ventimiglia, Hope Davis, and Stanley Tucci.

Awards of William Goldman

William Goldman is the recipient of two Academy Awards for best screenplay for ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and ‘All the President’s Men.’ Likewise, he also won two Edgar Awards. Goldman is also honored with the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement by the Writers Guild of America.

Net Worth of William Goldman

William Goldman was one of the richest screenwriters during his time. At the time of his death in 2018, he had an estimated net worth of $15 million.