Goldwyn Jr. was born into Hollywood royalty on Sept. 7, 1926, the son of movie mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn (the "G" in MGM Studios), and actress Frances Howard. He continued his family's dynasty with founding his own companies, The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Goldwyn Jr. was best known for producing films such as Outback, Stella, The Preacher's Wife, and his last film, 2013's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He was even credited for giving then-newcomer Julia Roberts her big break in 1988's Mystic Pizza.
Most people don't quite realize what an independent film pioneer he was," Thomas E. Rothman, chairman of TriStar, said in a statement to the NYT. "Sam was the inspiration for Fox Searchlight." (Rothman worked at the Samuel Goldwyn Company before founding Fox Searchlight in 1994.)
Goldwyn Jr. was previously married to Jennifer Howard and Peggy Elliott, with whom he had four and two children with, respectively. He's survived by his third wife Patricia Strawn, sons Tony, John, Francis, and Peter, daughters Catherine and Elizabeth, and 10 grandchildren.
