Tony Goldwyn is an American actor, producer, and director who is best known for portraying President Fitzgerald Grant III in the ABC drama ‘Scandal’. He has appeared in such films as “Ghost,” “The Last Samurai,” “The Last House on the Left,” “The Mechanic,” “Divergent,” “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” and “The Belko Experiment.” He was most recently seen in the film Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. He has directed several episodes of hit television programs such as “Dexter,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Six Degrees,” “Damages,” “Justified,” “Hawthorne,” and “Scandal.” Goldwyn is also well-known for his political activities and has been a Hillary Clinton supporter. In order to promote Clinton’s presidential campaign, he even directed a commercial with Kerry Washington, Shonda Rhimes, Viola Davis, and Ellen Pompeo. Goldwyn is also a spokesperson for the Americares Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides emergency medical assistance in the United States and internationally.
Youth and Early Life
Tony Goldwyn was born in Los Angeles, California, in the United States on May 20, 1960, to actress Jennifer Howard and film producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
His grandpa was a film producer, Samuel Goldwyn, and his grandmother was an actress, Frances Howard.
Grandfather Sidney Howard was a dramatist, while grandma Clare Eames was a noted actress.
Clinton, New York’s Hamilton College was his alma mater. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the private research university Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He subsequently enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Tony Goldwyn’s Career
Almost immediately after completing theatre school, Goldwyn began his acting career. From 1986 to 1987, he had a variety of small parts in both television and film. He appeared in films such as “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” and television series such as “St. Elsewhere,” “Matlock,” “CBS Summer Playhouse,” and “Designing Women.”
In 1988, he began to receive more roles and appeared on the television programs Hunter and L.A. Law. Tim, a recurrent character in the miniseries “Favorite Son,” was his first significant role.
While performing on television series, Goldwyn received his first significant breakthrough role in 1990, when he was offered a part in the film Ghost. He played Carl Bruner and had the opportunity to collaborate alongside Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, and Demi Moore. The film and its cast subsequently won several BAFTA and Academy Awards.
During years 1991 to 1992, Tony Goldwyn became well-known in the television industry. He portrayed Dr. Carl Fairbanks in the television series “Tales from the Crypt” and Jody Powell in “Iran: Day of Crisis.” He also appeared in the films Kuffs, Traces of Red, and The Last Mile.
In 1993, Goldwyn portrayed Fletcher Cole in “The Pelican Brief,” a critically praised thriller in which he co-starred with Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. He received accolades for his performance. In the same year, he also appeared in the television films Love Matters and Taking the Heat.
In 1995, Tony Goldwyn portrayed several prominent characters on television and in the movies. Robert Steed in ‘A Woman of Independent Means,’ Clark Clifford in ‘Truman,’ and James Warren in ‘Under Fire’ were some of the parts he played. In addition, he portrayed Harold Nixon in ‘Nixon,’ a film nominated for five Academy Awards.
From 1996 to 1997, the actor appeared in a number of films and television programs, including ‘The Boys Next Door,’ ‘The Substance of Fire,’ ‘Kiss the Girls,’ ‘Trouble on the Corner,’ and ‘The Song of the Lark.’
Tony was cast as Neil Armstrong on the HBO series ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ in 1998. He also portrayed Frank O’Brian in the film The Lesser of Two Evils. These roles garnered him plaudits from both critics and audiences.
In 1999, the actor lent his voice to the Disney classic “Tarzan” as character Tarzan. Later, he lent his voice acting talents to all video games based on the film. In the following years, he appeared in films such as “Bounce” and “An American Rhapsody.”
Goldwyn’s next major break came in 2003 when he was cast as Colonel Bagley in ‘The Last Samurai,’ a film nominated for an Academy Award. In a film starring Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, and Billy Connolly, he made certain that his screen presence was felt. In the same year, he portrayed Greg Knowles in ‘Without a Trace’.
In 2005, the actor appeared in “Ghosts Never Sleep,” “The L Word,” “Romance and Cigarettes,” and “American Gun.” The following year, Goldwyn assumed multiple responsibilities. In addition to portraying Dr. Emmett Meridian in the television series ‘Dexter,’ he directed episodes of ‘Return to Sender,’ ‘Shrink Wrap,’ ‘It’s Alive,’ and ‘An Inconvenient Lie.’
From 2007 through 2009, Tony had several significant responsibilities. In the TV series ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent,’ he was cast as Frank Goren, a recurrent character. The actor also portrayed John in the film The Last House on the Left and Judge Henry Baxter in the television series The Good Wife.
Between 2010 and 2012, he directed multiple productions. He directed a few episodes of the television series The Divide.
In the 2014 science-fiction thriller ‘Divergent,’ he portrayed the character of Andrew Prior. In the 2016 action-horror film ‘The Belko Experiment,’ he portrayed the starring role of Barry Norris.
Though he has played numerous roles during his career, he is perhaps best known for portraying President Fitzgerald Grant in the Emmy-winning television series Scandal. In addition to acting on the show, he has directed eight episodes. The forthcoming seventh season will be the final one.
The actor starred in 2017 films such as “A Little Something for Your Birthday” and “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.”
Goldwyn has performed in Off-Broadway productions including ‘Spike Heels’ in 1992 and ‘The Water’s Edge’ in 2006.
Tony Goldwyn’s Recognition
Tony Goldwyn is best known for his role as President Fitzgerald Grant in the hit ABC television series Scandal. Multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards have been presented to the show.
Awards & Achievements
For his performance in ‘Ghost’ in 1991, Tony Goldwyn was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. In addition, he received an Obie Award for Performance for “The Sum of Us.”
In 2010, he earned the Audience Award – Honorable Mention for ‘Conviction’ at the Philadelphia Film Festival.
Together with the cast of ‘Scandal,’ he won the 2013 TV Guide Awards.
Tony Goldwyn’s Personal Life
Tony Goldwyn and Jane Michelle Musky exchanged wedding vows in 1987. He has two daughters named Frances Goldwyn and Anna Musky Tess. Additionally, the actor has five siblings, and his brother John is the executive producer of the television series “Dexter.” Peter, his brother, is the President of Samuel Goldwyn Films.
It was alleged in March 2017 that he was having an affair with co-star Huma Abedin when they were photographed together at Disneyland. However, his wife and the actor himself both denied the reports.
Goldwyn is a former Creative Coalition president and is connected with the Americares Foundation. He is also an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter.
Like many other actors, he disclosed in 2017 that he had been sexually harassed by a member of the film industry during his early career.
Estimated Net Worth
American actor and filmmaker Tony Goldwyn has a net worth of $8 million. He is likely best recognized for his roles as Carl Bruner in “Ghost” and Fitzgerald Grant III in ABC’s “Scandal,” which he played from 2012 to 2018.