William Goldman

William Goldman wrote the screenplays for numerous iconic films including *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* (1969), *All the President's Men* (1976), *Marathon Man* (1976), and *The Princess Bride* (1987). He also wrote the novel *The Princess Bride* and adapted it for the screen himself. He won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay for *Butch Cassidy* and Best Adapted Screenplay for *All the President's Men*.

Goldman wrote two highly influential nonfiction books about Hollywood: *Adventures in the Screen Trade* (1983) and its follow-up *Which Lie Did I Tell?* (2000). In the first book, he coined the famous phrase 'Nobody knows anything' about the inability of studio executives to predict which films will succeed. These books are considered essential reading for aspiring screenwriters.

Goldman first wrote *The Princess Bride* as a novel published in 1973, presenting it as an abridgment of a fictional older work by 'S. Morgenstern.' He then adapted his own novel into the screenplay for the 1987 film directed by Rob Reiner. The film has become a beloved classic, and the frame narrative about the fictional abridgment was maintained in both versions.

There has been widespread discussion about whether William Goldman performed uncredited script doctoring on *Good Will Hunting*, which was credited to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Goldman himself denied writing the screenplay and stated he consulted on the script, reportedly advising the team to focus the story on Will Hunting rather than his therapist. Damon and Affleck won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1997 film.