William Goldman (1931-2018) was an American novelist, screenwriter, and essayist, one of the most celebrated screenwriters of his era and the author of the beloved novel The Princess Bride.
Goldman won two Academy Awards for screenwriting, for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men, and wrote or adapted many other notable films, including Marathon Man and Misery. His script work made him a legend among writers for its craft and economy.
The Princess Bride, published in 1973 and framed as his abridgment of a fictional older text, became a cult favorite as both novel and the 1987 film he adapted from it, prized for its wit, romance, and playful narrative voice.
Goldman was also famous for his candid, often quoted writing about Hollywood, especially the memoir Adventures in the Screen Trade, where he coined the line that in the movie business nobody knows anything. His blend of storytelling skill and hard-won industry wisdom made him a touchstone for screenwriters and novelists alike.
William Goldman
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