Hail to Scandal's Chief: Tony Goldwyn

Nearly 25 years after the premiere of Ghost, fans have finally granted Tony Goldwyn a pardon.

In that iconic 1990 movie, Goldwyn’s Carl Bruner killed Patrick Swayze’s beloved character, Sam Wheat. “Now I get [from fans], ‘I’ve finally forgiven you for Sam Wheat because I love Fitz,’” Goldwyn says and laughs.

Goldwyn’s turn as the complex President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant in Scandal has led to one of the most vibrant times of his career.

“It redefined me in the zeitgeist in this very interesting way,” he says. “Because Fitz is a leading man, but he’s also a villain. But he’s also not. He’s sexy and you love him, but you also hate him.”

In addition to appearing in the hit ABC drama, Goldwyn can be seen on the big screen in Divergent and the title role of Lifetime movie Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs, portraying the fundamentalist Mormon leader. But he also expanded his repertoire as an executive producer and director of new WEtv series, The Divide, which debuted this summer.

“I’m feeling very grateful,” he says. “I’m trying to work as hard as I can to maximize these moments creatively because I know these moments pass.”

The Divide  — WEtv’s first scripted series — follows a young lawyer who believes a death row inmate is innocent. “If you don’t have money or influence, it’s very difficult to get what we would like to believe is justice,” Goldwyn says. “The series explores the moral divide in the justice system, in racial politics and, most especially, in ourselves.”

The Los Angeles native is the grandson of legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn and the son of producer Samuel Goldwyn, Jr.

“We had this great gift of understanding the reality of the entertainment industry,” he says of his upbringing.

“We knew going in that it was about building a body of work and it was about survival. I feel so privileged and proud, in my own modest way, to be carrying on the legacy.”

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Based on an original story published in Emmy magazine issue no. 05-14.