Tony Goldwyn

Actor, director, producer Tony Goldwyn is taking multi-tasking to a new level. While starring as President Fitzgerald Grant in Shonda Rhimes’ hit series “Scandal,” 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.

Goldwyn was born in Los Angeles, California, to actress Jennifer Howard and producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr.. He is the grandson of producer Samuel Goldwyn, actress Frances Howard, playwright Sidney Howard, and actress Clare Eames.

He 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.