One of the greatest and most successful screenwriters in the history of film, William Goldman wrote his first screenplay for the movie Masquerade in 1965, though he was already an established and popular novelist and playwright since the late 1950s.
Born in Chicago in 1931, Goldman battled adversity throughout his upbringing, as his father was a suicidal alcoholic, and his mother was deaf. He was drafted into the Army after college, where his two-year service would inspire future stories. Shortly after earning his Master's at Columbia University, he published his first novel in 1956, launching an incredible career that ran until his passing in 2018.
Absolute Power (1997) - 52
Four years after starring as a Secret Service agent protecting the president from a would-be assassin in In the Line of Fire (1993), Clint Eastwood starred in the presidential thriller Absolute Power.
Eastwood plays thief Luther Whitney, who sets out to rob the home of an aging billionaire. Things complicate when he spies the billionaire's wife (Melora Hardin) in a compromising situation with the US President (Gene Hackman), which soon turns into a violent crime that sees Luther running for his life and fighting to prove his innocence.
The Stepford Wives (1975) - 54
A primary influence on Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning smash hit Get Out (2017), the classic horror mystery The Stepford Wives was adapted by Goldman from a novel by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby).
The story follows Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross), who moves with her husband (Peter Masterson) and their two children from Manhattan to the charmingly picturesque suburb of Stepford, Connecticut. Stepford is perfect, too perfect, and while investigating what makes the town's women behave as happily subservient as they do, Joanna makes a shockingly horrific discovery.
Hearts In Atlantis (2001) - 55
An adaptation of a best-selling book of the same name by legendary author Stephen King, Hearts in Atlantis is a mystery revolving around a widow named Liz (Hope Davis) and her young son Bobby (Anton Yelchin).
When a mysterious old stranger (Anthony Hopkins) becomes a boarder at their house, an interesting and life-changing relationship evolves between the stranger and his hosts. The stranger becomes a much-needed father figure to the brilliant but troubled Bobby, who slowly comes to discover the stranger's supernatural abilities.
Fierce Creatures (1997) - 62
Considered the spiritual sequel to the 1988 cult classic A Fish Called Wanda due to its inclusion of the same core cast members and comedic tone, Fierce Creatures was written primarily by John Cleese and Iain Johnstone, though the pair enlisted Goldman's help in ideas for the story's edits and ending.
When a multimillionaire (Kevin Kline) purchases a failing Zoo, he makes drastic changes in an effort to increase attendance and profits, primarily the decision to display only the fiercest and most aggressive animals possible, resulting in hilarious hijinks.
Maverick (1994) - 62
One of the few Westerns from Goldman, Maverick is adapted from the popular television series of the same name, which ran from 1957-1962. The movie stars Mel Gibson as the titular cardsharp, who seeks to enter a poker contest with a huge prize.
Lacking the capital required to enter the tournament, Maverick sets out to raise the money by scamming other players in a preliminary card game, which results in the players hunting him down for their revenge. Also on Maverick's tail is Marshal Cooper, played by James Gardner, who played Maverick in the original TV show.
Marathon Man (1976) - 64
The Graduate (1967) wasn't the only major movie to feature Dustin Hoffman in a college graduate role. Marathon Man stars Hoffman as Thomas Levy - a Ph.D. student in New York City whose government agent brother (Roy Scheider) accidentally gets him involved in an international stolen diamond conspiracy run by an ex-Nazi (Laurence Olivier) hiding in America.
The ordeal flips Levy's world upside down, and after fighting for the lives of himself and his loved ones, Levy must face the sadistic war criminal in a terrifying climax.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - 66
The script for Goldman's best-known Western earned him his first Academy Award. The first collaboration between dynamic duo Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is considered one of the greatest Westerns ever made.
The movie tells the true story of the two outlaws who led their gang as the last of a dying breed of Western legends in the early 1900s. After a train robbery goes wrong, Butch and Sundance find themselves pursued by a tenacious posse, forcing them to flee to Bolivia.
Misery (1990) - 75
The first Goldman adaptation of a Stephen King novel is the best-known and most critically lauded of the three, and won Kathy Bates an acting Oscar. Like many King stories, this psychological thriller follows a writer, in this case, a famous novelist named Paul Sheldon (James Caan).
When Paul spins his car off an isolated road at the beginning of Misery, he's saved and nursed back to health by Annie (Bates), who happens to be a huge fan of his work. Paul soon realizes Annie's dangerous, and potentially deadly, obsession with him.
The Princess Bride (1987) - 77
Before Misery, Goldman and director Rob Reiner first worked together on the classic fantasy adventure movie The Princess Bride. Using the narrative device of an old man (Peter Falk) reading a story to his sick grandson (Fred Savage), the movie (which Goldman adapted from his own book) tells an incredible story sure to excite viewers of any age.
When a farm boy (Cary Elwes) is separated from his true love (Robin Wright), they set out on an unforgettable journey to reunite, encountering pirates, monsters, monarchs, evil masterminds, giants, and wizards along the way.
All The President's Men (1976) - 84
Goldman's most critically acclaimed movie, All the President's Men not only won him his second Academy Award for Best Screenplay but also received three additional Oscars and was nominated for four more.
The movie tells the true story of Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), two Washington Post journalists who risked their lives and careers while investigating the break-in of the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel, which led to the uncovering of the scandal that resulted in the resignation of President Nixon.