William Goldman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, has died at age 87 from complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. Goldman’s daughter confirmed the news to the Washington Post.
Also a celebrated novelist, playwright, memoirist, and script doctor, Goldman was the writer behind such works as Marathon Man, Magic, and the beloved The Princess Bride, all of which he adapted for the screen himself. He also wrote adapted scripts for Flowers for Algernon, The Stepford Wives, Misery, and many more. His knack for memorable dialogue can be found in immortal lines like “Follow the money” and “Is it safe?”
Goldman was a keen observer of Hollywood, as documented in his memoirs Adventures In The Screen Trade and Which Lie Did I Tell?. He famously said of the industry: “Nobody knows anything.”
Support our independent journalism
Readers like you make our work possible. Help us continue to provide the reporting, commentary, and criticism you won’t find anywhere else.
Join Slate Plus
