William Goldman, the writer behind The Princess Bride, All The President’s Men, and Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, died on Friday at the age of 87 from colon cancer and pneumonia. The sheer range of his screenwriting prowess is evident from these three titles alone. He won Oscars for the latter two, a Western buddy film and a suspense-filled masterpiece, and obviously, The Princess Bride (adapted from his own book) continues to inspire goofy strings of consistently repeatable dialogue, so it’s an understatement to say that he will be missed, in the cinematic realm and far beyond.
His talents allowed him to straddle genres in a seemingly effortless manner, from Misery to Chaplin to The Stepford Wives. To that effect, Hollywood figures (including many who worked very closely with Goldman, who did not shy away from the spotlight like some writers are prone to do) are gathering on social media to pay tribute to a legend. Stephen King thanked him for the “beautiful” screenplay (later directed by Rob Reiner) for his novel.
So sorry to hear of the passing of William Goldman. He was both witty and talented. His screenplay of my book MISERY was a beautiful thing. Rest In Peace, Bill.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 16, 2018
Reiner was quick to chime in as well, speaking to the honor of directing The Princess Bride, as well as his final (and fitting) exchange with Goldman.
Losing Bill Goldman made me cry. My favorite book of all time is The Princess Bride. I was honored he allowed me to make it into a movie. I visited with him last Saturday. He was very weak but his mind still had the Goldman edge. I told him I loved him. He smiled & said fuck you.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) November 16, 2018
Neil Gaiman revealed that Goldman loved it when The Sandman author expressed the greatest affection for The Princess Bride.
I was lucky, in 1984, to interview William Goldman at the Savoy. He brightened up when I told him that of all his books, I loved The Princess Bride, then his least successful book, the best. A gentleman: he wrote brilliant novels & screenplays & explained Hollywood to the world.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 16, 2018
Numerous others, including Ron Howard, Edgar Wright, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Vincent D’Onofrio (who called Goldman “the best ever”), honored a legend.
RIP #WilliamGoldman. One of the greatest most successful screenwriters ever. I was lucky as hell to count Bill as a mentor and a friend. Check his credits & see a William Goldman movie or read a Goldman book over the holiday & give thanks that we had his voice in our world. https://t.co/RWRdCoO1Cm
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) November 16, 2018
It's no small feat to be a smart, witty writer and smart and witty about writing. RIP the legendary adventurer in screenwriting, William Goldman. https://t.co/oqSyQaRq2R
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) November 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/SteveBoyer5000/status/1063438985723355136
William Goldman. What can one do in the face of such a legacy but bow our heads in gratitude?
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/vincentdonofrio/status/1063438395559632896
You might not know his name but he almost assuredly brought you joy. Such a talent. May his memory be a blessing https://t.co/ZtAmSBg6IN
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 16, 2018
One less giant….
William Goldman Dies; Oscar Winning Writer Of ‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’ Was 87 – Deadline https://t.co/ipARwOdkNs
— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) November 16, 2018
Legendary William Goldman, has died. He gave us ‘The Princess Bride’, ( book even better than the film) ‘Butch Cassidy-’ screenplay of "All the President's Men’ and best book on show biz, ‘Adventures in the Screen Trade’. He was also a true friend. Thank you dear Bill pic.twitter.com/dcwfYPd3ue
— Mia Farrow 🏳️🌈 🌻🇺🇸☘️ (@MiaFarrow) November 16, 2018
And of course, The Princess Bride quotes are everywhere — a phenomenon which Goldman would undoubtedly have enjoyed.
It’s Inconceivable.
— Kenya ☮️ 🇺🇦Women's Rights🌻☯️ (@LandseerNewfie) November 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/leslietfj/status/1063472856896548864
(Via New York Times)
