Although he is best known for his film and television work, actor and director Tony Goldwyn (b. Los Angeles, CA, May 20, 1960) remains well established on the live stage. Most recently he landed a supporting role in the Broadway revival hit Promises, Promises (2010). Off the stage, he is noted for his film roles as Carl Bruner in Ghost (1990), Colonel Bagley in The Last Samurai (2003), and the voice of the title character in the Disney animated Tarzan (1999). In the past decade he has tested his directing prowess in several films and television projects.
Goldwyn’s passion for acting came as no surprise; he was born to actress Jennifer Howard and film producer Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. His family’s background in entertainment goes a generation further: his paternal grandparents were movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn and film actress Frances Howard, and his maternal grandparents were playwright Sidney Howard and actress Clare Eames. Goldwyn attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Later he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to refine his craft.
Tony Goldwyn began his film acting career in 1986 with the Friday the 13th horror series, but wouldn’t gain his first memorable role until 1990 when he played the role of Carl Bruner, friend of Sam Wheat (played by Patrick Swayze) in Ghost. He also played Neil Armstrong in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998)..
Goldwyn’s aspirations reached beyond the camera and were eventually realized with his film directing debut, A Walk on the Moon, in 1999. In the past decade he has gained esteem for directing such films as Someone Like You (2001) featuring Ashley Judd, Greg Kinear, and Hugh Jackman, and The Last Kiss (2006) starring Zach Braff. He displayed both his acting and directing talent on several episodes of the popular Showtime television series “Dexter,” of which his brother, Paramount Studios President John Goldwyn, is executive producer.
Throughout his film career Goldwyn has taken roles in smaller-scale plays including Off-Broadway shows: Spike Heels (1992) alongside Kevin Bacon, and The Water’s Edge (2006) opposite Kate Burton. He admits that despite his broad range of roles, before his part in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises he has never performed in a musical – although he has “always wanted to.” In Promises, Promises, based on the 1960 Oscar®-winning film The Apartment, Goldwyn plays J.D. Sheldrake, a married corporate power broker who uses the apartment of an underling (Sean Hayes) to carry on his affair with another employee (Kristin Chenoweth).
Goldwyn is married to production designer Jane Musky, with whom he has two daughters, Anna and Tess. He is a board member of The Creative Coalition and a member of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Of his diverse career, Goldwyn comments: “It keeps things interesting. That’s the joy, seeing what’s out there and taking on new challenges.”
