Tony Goldwyn
Template:Short description Template:Pp-pc Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor and director. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) and had his breakthrough 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), earning him a SAG Award nomination, and as Neil Armstrong in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998).
Goldwyn voiced the titular character in the Disney animated film Tarzan (1999). He 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 netting him a second SAG Award nomination. He starred as President Fitzgerald Grant III on Scandal (2012–18) while he was also directing a number of episodes, for which he won a Peabody Award. Since 2024, he has starred as District Attorney Nicholas Baxter on Law & Order.
Early life, family, and education
Tony Goldwyn was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Jennifer Howard and film producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr.. Goldwyn's paternal grandparents were film mogul Samuel Goldwyn, a Polish Jewish immigrant from Warsaw, and actress Frances Howard, who was originally from Nebraska.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Citation needed His maternal grandparents were playwright Sidney Howard and actress Clare Eames. One of his maternal great-great-grandfathers was Maryland governor and senator William T. Hamilton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He additionally studied acting at HB Studio in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career

Following his departure from drama school, Goldwyn began acting in guest star roles in the mid-1980s. Goldwyn had his breakthrough role in playing Carl Bruner, friend-turned-betrayer of Patrick Swayze's character Sam Wheat, in the fantasy thriller Ghost.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the highest grossing film of 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the most rented videocassette of 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For his performance Goldwyn was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Goldwyn appeared in the comedy series Designing Women, in which he played a young interior designer named Kendall Dobbs, an HIV-positive man dying from AIDS who asked the women of Sugarbakers to design his funeral.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He reprised the role in the video games 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also did acting and directing duties for the first season of Dexter for Showtime (brother John Goldwyn is executive producer).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cast recording was released on June 23, 2010, with Goldwyn on three tracks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a director Goldwyn has done four feature films, A Walk on the Moon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Someone Like You, The Last Kiss, and Conviction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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, for which he also served as executive producer along with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard LaGravenese.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Goldwyn starred as President Fitzgerald Grant III in the ABC legal/political drama Scandal from 2012 to 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013 Goldwyn was cast in the Lifetime original film Outlaw Prophet as Warren Jeffs.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2018, Goldwyn was cast as Ben Lefevre in the Netflix supernatural series Chambers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023 Goldwyn played Theodore Roosevelt in an Audible audiobook recording of the autobiography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024 Goldwyn joined the cast of Law & Order, portraying Manhattan District Attorney Nicholas Baxter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal life
Goldwyn has been married to Jane Michelle Musky, a production designer, since 1987.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have two daughters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and on the Board of Governors for the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography

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 | |
| Taking the Heat | Michael Norell | ||
| 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<ref name="btva">Template:Cite web A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> |
| 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 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House | Ed Miller | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2021 | King Richard | Paul Cohen | |
| 2022 | The People We Hate at the Wedding | Dr. Goulding | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2023 | Plane | Scarsdale | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Murder Mystery 2 | Silverfox | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Oppenheimer | Gordon Gray | ||
| Ezra | Bruce | Also director and producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2025 | One Battle After Another | Virgil Throckmorton | |
| TBA | Billion Dollar Spy | Burton Gerber | Post-production |
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 | Episode: "Abra Cadaver" |
| 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 | Miniseries |
| 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 | |
| 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 role |
| 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 role |
| Blue Sky Metropolis | Narrator | Miniseries | |
| 2020 | Lovecraft Country | Samuel Braithwhite | Episode: "Whitey's on the Moon" |
| 2021 | The Hot Zone: Anthrax | Bruce Edwards Ivins | 6 episodes<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2024–2025 | Hacks | Bob Lipka | 4 episodes |
| 2024–present | Law & Order | DA Nicholas Baxter | Main role (seasons 23–present) |
| 2025 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 4 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Tarzan | Tarzan<ref name="btva" /> |
| 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 Sexy 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 |
| 2023 | Crowded Hours: The True Story of Alice Roosevelt and America’s First Political Dynasty | Alice Roosevelt Longworth |
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 | rowspan=2 Template:Nom |
| 1996 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nixon | |
| 2010 | Philadelphia Film Festival | Philadelphia Film Festival for Audience Award — Honorable Mention | Conviction | rowspan=2 Template:Won |
| 2013 | Peabody Awards | Excellence in Radio and Television | Scandal | |
| 2014 | Prism Awards | Performance in a Drama Series | rowspan=5 Template:Nom | |
| 2022 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Ensemble | King Richard | |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | Best Cast Ensemble | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
References
External links
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- 1960 births
- 20th-century American Jews
- 21st-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male video game actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American activists
- American television directors
- Audiobook narrators
- Brandeis University alumni
- Film directors from California
- Goldwyn family
- Hamilton College (New York) alumni
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American singers
- Jews from California
- Living people
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- Writers from Brooklyn
- Writers Guild of America Award winners