---
name: "Tony Goldwyn"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/tony-goldwyn"
fi1m_id: "tony-goldwyn"
imdb_id: "nm0001282"
tmdb_id: 3417
wikidata_id: "Q224754"
roles: ["Actor","Director"]
born: "20 May 1960"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 15
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-05T16:40:58.775942+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Tony Goldwyn

## Identity

Tony Goldwyn

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tony-goldwyn
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** tony-goldwyn
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001282
- **TMDB ID:** 3417
- **Wikidata ID:** Q224754
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Goldwyn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q224754, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001282/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3417

Actor and director. Born 20 May 1960 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director
- **Born:** 20 May 1960, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Active:** 1988–present
- **Also known as:** Anthony Howard Goldwyn, Anthony Goldwyn
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 15: 10 acting, 5 directing
- **Frequently works with:** [John David Coles](https://film.one/person/john-david-coles.md), [Adam Davidson](https://film.one/person/adam-davidson.md), [Michael Dinner](https://film.one/person/michael-dinner.md), [Michael Pressman](https://film.one/person/michael-pressman.md), [Michael W. Watkins](https://film.one/person/michael-w-watkins.md), [Steve Shill](https://film.one/person/steve-shill.md), [Aaron Zelman](https://film.one/person/aaron-zelman.md), [Adam Arkin](https://film.one/person/adam-arkin.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 77 (1), 1990s 73 (4), 2000s 73 (4), 2010s 87 (1), 2020s 77 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 73 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 7 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Thriller 4, Action 2, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Crime 2
- **Screen time:** 18 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,881m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Goldwyn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q224754, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001282/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3417

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Justified*](https://film.one/tv/justified.md) (87), [*Damages*](https://film.one/tv/damages.md) (78), [*Tarzan*](https://film.one/film/tarzan.md) (77), [*Grey's Anatomy*](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) (68)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Ghost*](https://film.one/film/ghost.md) (80), [*Plane*](https://film.one/film/plane.md) (72), [*The Pelican Brief*](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md) (63)
- **HBO Max:** [*One Battle After Another*](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md) (87), [*The Last Samurai*](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md) (72)
- **Apple TV:** [*Dexter*](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md) (74)
- **Hulu:** [*Law & Order*](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Tony Goldwyn

> Tony Goldwyn makes good manners slightly suspect. We value the ease with which he makes compromised men appealing, though repeated casting as respectable authority figures can leave us waiting for the fault to show.

Goldwyn is often the courteous man who seems entirely comfortable in charge. He makes that confidence appealing enough for us to understand why other people might trust him, and we rate him when he leaves us to decide how far that trust should extend. His charm gives morally flawed characters a chance to be liked. Repeated villain casting has its cost, though: we can begin looking for trouble before he has done much to suggest it.

Jerry Zucker’s *Ghost* (1990) gave him his breakthrough as Carl Bruner, and his likeability matters to the part. We were moved by the film because Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore make the loss feel personal. Goldwyn helps the human company feel plausible, although the supernatural plotting repeatedly tests our willingness to believe it. We would not credit him with the tears, or with Whoopi Goldberg’s success at keeping the film funny. It is a valuable supporting performance in a romance we recommend despite the script’s demands.

*Scandal* (2012–2018) gave that mixture of authority and moral uncertainty more time to develop, with Goldwyn starring as President Fitzgerald Grant III and also directing episodes. It was a substantial move to the centre after a career built largely from supporting film parts and television work. His directing offers something different to consider: *A Walk on the Moon* (1999) works through intimate relationships and strong ensemble performances. The conventional polish of *Conviction* (2010) is less persuasive.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s *One Battle After Another* (2025) casts him as Virgil Throckmorton, another charming antagonist. We recommend the fast, funny chase film warmly, but our reservation about its cartoon villains matters here: Goldwyn is again working within a familiar sort of part. His presence makes sense without proving that the casting has asked anything new of him. For a longer stretch with Goldwyn at the centre, try *Scandal*.

## Biography

Tony Goldwyn is an American actor and director. Born in Los Angeles, California, he is the son of producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and actress Jennifer Howard. He studied at Brandeis University, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the HB Studio in New York.

Goldwyn made his screen debut in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986). He is known for his role as Carl Bruner in Ghost (1990), the voice of Tarzan in Tarzan (1999), Colonel Bagley in The Last Samurai (2003), and President Fitzgerald Grant in the series Scandal (2012–2018), which he also directed episodes of. He appeared as Gordon Gray in Oppenheimer (2023) and as Virgil Throckmorton in One Battle After Another (2025).

Goldwyn has directed feature films including A Walk on the Moon (1999) and Conviction (2010). He received Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performances in Nixon (1995) and King Richard (2021).

*Sources: imdb.com, cnn.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (15)

### Performed in (10) — the average rests on these

- *One Battle After Another* (2025), Fi1m 87, as Virgil Throckmorton — [page](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md)
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), Fi1m 84, as Gordon Gray — [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *Plane* (2023), Fi1m 72, as Scarsdale — [page](https://film.one/film/plane.md)
- *King Richard* (2021), Fi1m 68, as Paul Cohen — [page](https://film.one/film/king-richard.md)
- *Lovecraft Country* (2020), Fi1m 74, as Samuel Braithwhite — [page](https://film.one/tv/lovecraft-country.md)
- *The Last Samurai* (2003), Fi1m 72, as Col. Benjamin Bagley — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md)
- *Tarzan* (1999), Fi1m 77, as Tarzan (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/tarzan.md)
- *The Pelican Brief* (1993), Fi1m 63, as Fletcher Coal — [page](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md)
- *Ghost* (1990), Fi1m 80, as Carl Bruner — [page](https://film.one/film/ghost.md)
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), Fi1m 77, as Bobby Powell — [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)

### Directed (5)

- *Justified* (2010), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *Damages* (2007), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Dexter* (2006), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, as Nicholas Baxter — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

## Complete filmography (94)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *One Battle After Another* (2025), as Virgil Throckmorton — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md)
- *Ezra* (2024), as Bruce · Director, Producer
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), as Gordon Gray — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *Murder Mystery 2* (2023), as Mr. Silverfox
- *Plane* (2023), as Scarsdale — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/plane.md)
- *The People We Hate at the Wedding* (2022), as Dr. Goulding
- *King Richard* (2021), as Paul Cohen — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/king-richard.md)
- *Hacks* (2021), series, as Bob Lipka — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/hacks.md)
- *but i'm here too* (2021), as Him · Director, Producer
- *Lovecraft Country* (2020), series, as Samuel Braithwhite — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/lovecraft-country.md)
- *The Hot Zone* (2019), series, as Bruce Ivins
- *Chambers* (2019), series, as Ben Lefevre · Director
- *All I Wish* (2018), as Adam
- *Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House* (2017), as Ed Miller
- *The Belko Experiment* (2017), as Barry Norris
- *Insurgent* (2015), as Andrew Prior
- *The Divide* (2014), series, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs* (2014), as Warren Jeffs
- *Divergent* (2014), as Andrew
- *Scandal* (2012), series, as President Fitzgerald Grant · Director
- *The Mechanic* (2011), as Dean Sanderson
- *Conviction* (2010), Producer, Director
- *Justified* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Judge Henry Baxter — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *Drop Dead Diva* (2009), series, as Alan Roberts
- *The Last House on the Left* (2009), as John Collingwood
- *Private Practice* (2007), series, Director
- *Dirty Sexy Money* (2007), series, Director
- *Damages* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Dexter* (2006), series, as Dr. Emmett Meridian · Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dexter.md)
- *Six Degrees* (2006), series, Director
- *Kidnapped* (2006), series, Director
- *The Last Kiss* (2006), Director
- *American Gun* (2005), as Frank
- *Romance & Cigarettes* (2005), as Kitty's First Love (uncredited)
- *The Sisters* (2005), as Vincent Antonelli
- *The Godfather of Green Bay* (2005), as Big Jake Norquist
- *Ghosts Never Sleep* (2005), as Jared Dolan
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *The L Word* (2004), series, as Burr Connor · Director
- *The Last Samurai* (2003), as Col. Benjamin Bagley — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-samurai.md)
- *Working Shakespeare* (2003), series, Actor
- *Ash Tuesday* (2003), as Elliott
- *Abandon* (2002), as David Schaffer
- *Without a Trace* (2002), series, as Greg Knowles / Rick Knowles · Director
- *Joshua* (2002), as Joshua
- *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Frank Goren
- *An American Rhapsody* (2001), as Peter
- *Someone Like You...* (2001), Director
- *The 6th Day* (2000), as Michael Drucker
- *Bounce* (2000), as Greg Janello
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Nicholas Baxter
- *Tarzan* (1999), as Tarzan (voice) — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/tarzan.md)
- *A Walk on the Moon* (1999), Director, Producer
- *The Lesser Evil* (1998), as Frank
- *From the Earth to the Moon* (1998), series, as Neil Armstrong
- *Trouble on the Corner* (1997), as Jeff Stewart
- *Kiss the Girls* (1997), as Dr. Will Rudolph
- *The Substance of Fire* (1996), as Aaron Geldhart
- *The Boys Next Door* (1996), as Jack Palmer
- *Nixon* (1995), as Harold Nixon
- *Reckless* (1995), as Tom
- *Truman* (1995), as Clark Clifford
- *The Last Word* (1995), as Stan
- *Pocahontas: The Legend* (1995), as Sir Edwin Wingfield
- *A Woman of Independent Means* (1995), series, as Robert Steed
- *Doomsday Gun* (1994), as Duvall
- *Vault of Horror I* (1994), as Dr. Carl Fairbanks (archive footage)
- *The Last Tattoo* (1994), as Captain Mike Starwood
- *Love Matters* (1993), as Geoffrey
- *The Pelican Brief* (1993), as Fletcher Coal — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md)
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Roger — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Taking the Heat* (1993), as Michael
- *Traces of Red* (1992), as Steve Frayn
- *The Last Mile* (1992), as Scott
- *Kuffs* (1992), as Ted Bukovsky
- *Iran: Days of Crisis* (1991), series, as Jody Powell
- *Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers* (1991), as Reader
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Nicholas Baxter · Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Ghost* (1990), as Carl Bruner — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/ghost.md)
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Dr. Carl Fairbanks
- *Dark Holiday* (1989), as Ken Horton
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, as Bobby Powell — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Friday the 13th Part VII - The New Blood* (1988), as David (archive footage)
- *Gaby: A True Story* (1987), as David
- *Designing Women* (1986), series, Actor
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Chris Arnett
- *Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI* (1986), as Darren
- *Matlock* (1986), series, as Mark Campion
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Byron Loire
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Henry Orr — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Jack Palmer
- *Box Office Champ*, Actor
- *Billion Dollar Spy*, as Burton Gerber

## Gallery

- ![Tony Goldwyn](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-c03b14cf0794.jpg) Tony Goldwyn — LBJ Library from Austin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Tony_Goldwyn_%2848996884641%29_%281%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![BCG NY co-hosts a talkback with the National Theatre, featuring conversation between Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn on 27 November 2023](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-122348602f65.jpg) BCG NY co-hosts a talkback with the National Theatre, featuring conversation between Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn on 27 November 2023 — UKinUSA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/BCG_NY_co-hosts_a_talkback_with_the_National_Theatre%2C_featuring_conversation_between_Bryan_Cranston_and_Tony_Goldwyn_on_27_November_2023_11.jpg/1280px-BCG_NY_co-hosts_a_talkback_with_the_National_Theatre%2C_featuring_conversation_between_Bryan_Cranston_and_Tony_Goldwyn_on_27_November_2023_11.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Tony Goldwyn and Swati Bhise On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All award from the LBJ](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-845e45779435.jpg) Tony Goldwyn and Swati Bhise On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All award from the LBJ — LBJ Library from Austin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/5D4A2276_%2848997086927%29.jpg/1280px-5D4A2276_%2848997086927%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Tony Goldwyn On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All award fro](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-258623d439f8.jpg) Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Tony Goldwyn On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All award fro — LBJ Library from Austin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/5D4A2373_%2848996340328%29.jpg/1280px-5D4A2373_%2848996340328%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Tony Goldwyn](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-ef13219ad25b.jpg) Tony Goldwyn — Image via TMDB
- ![Tony Goldwyn](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-3eb24d2ac421.jpg) Tony Goldwyn — Image via TMDB
- ![BCG NY co-hosts a talkback with the National Theatre, featuring conversation between Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn on 27 November 2023](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-a46a680d8577.jpg) BCG NY co-hosts a talkback with the National Theatre, featuring conversation between Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn on 27 November 2023 — UKinUSA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/BCG_NY_co-hosts_a_talkback_with_the_National_Theatre%2C_featuring_conversation_between_Bryan_Cranston_and_Tony_Goldwyn_on_27_November_2023_12.jpg/1280px-BCG_NY_co-hosts_a_talkback_with_the_National_Theatre%2C_featuring_conversation_between_Bryan_Cranston_and_Tony_Goldwyn_on_27_November_2023_12.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lyndon Boozer, Adrienne Elrod, Tony Goldwyn On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All awa](https://film.one/media/person/7954/gallery-46b4fa97732f.jpg) Lyndon Boozer, Adrienne Elrod, Tony Goldwyn On Wednesday evening, October 30, 2019, Speaker Nancy Pelosi received the 2019 LBJ Liberty & Justice for All awa — LBJ Library from Austin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/5D4A2363_%2848996340013%29.jpg/1280px-5D4A2363_%2848996340013%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/tony-goldwyn