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75-688: Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is known for playing Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), Mr. Hall in Clueless (1995), Dr. John Sturgis in Young Sheldon (2018–2024), and voicing Rex in the Toy Story franchise (1995–present). Shawn also appeared in The Bostonians (1984), Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Scenes from

150-445: A "Cary Elwes Video Diary"; the US and UK theatrical trailers; four television spots; a photo gallery; and a collectible booklet. In 2006, MGM and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a two-disc set with varying covers—the "Dread Pirate" and "Buttercup" editions. Each featured their respective character, but had identical features: in addition to the features in the previous release were,

225-405: A $ 16 million production budget. On Rotten Tomatoes , The Princess Bride holds a 96% approval rating based on 84 reviews and an average rating of 8.50/10. The site's consensus states, "A delightfully postmodern fairy tale, The Princess Bride is a deft, intelligent mix of swashbuckling, romance, and comedy that takes an age-old damsel-in-distress story and makes it fresh." On Metacritic ,

300-431: A Bachelor of Arts in history from Harvard College . He studied philosophy, politics and economics , as well as Latin, at Magdalen College, Oxford , originally intending to become a diplomat. He traveled to India as an English teacher on a Fulbright program. Shawn's early plays, such as Marie and Bruce (1978), portrayed emotional and sexual conflicts in an absurdist style, with language both lyrical and violent. In

375-630: A Wizard of Oz-like film which could find greater success over time. Reiner had quickly decided on Cary Elwes for Westley, based on his performance in Lady Jane ; however, during the casting period in Los Angeles, Elwes was in West Germany on set for Maschenka . Reiner flew out to West Berlin to meet with Elwes, confirming his appropriateness for the role. While Reiner and casting director Jane Jenkins auditioned other actors for Westley, they knew Elwes

450-545: A bar themed after the film, named "As You Wish", opened in Chicago. The menu features 16 themed cocktails. At the 60th Academy Awards it was nominated for Best Original Song for "Storybook Love." At the 15th Saturn Awards it won Best Fantasy Film and Best Costume Design , it was nominated for Best Writing , and Robin Wright was nominated for Best Actress . It won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and at

525-623: A ceasefire. In April 2024, Shawn narrated a political ad by a group of left-wing organizations opposing what they believe is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 's influence in Democratic Party primaries. Shawn's longtime companion is writer Deborah Eisenberg . Shawn is a Jewish atheist . As of 2012, he lived in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan . The Princess Bride (film) The Princess Bride

600-544: A conversation with Andre Gregory , parts of which were used to create My Dinner with Andre , Shawn said these plays depicted "my interior life as a raging beast." Critical response was extremely polarized: some critics hailed Shawn as a major writer, while John Simon called Marie and Bruce "garbage" and Shawn "one of the unsightliest actors in this city." His 1977 play A Thought in Three Parts caused controversy in London when

675-472: A duel, but Westley stands and intimidates Humperdinck into surrendering. Inigo finds Westley and Buttercup, and Fezzik procures four horses for their escape. Having killed Rugen, Inigo is unsure what to do with his life; Westley offers him the Dread Pirate Roberts title. As dawn arises, the reunited Westley and Buttercup share a passionate kiss. The sick grandson eagerly asks his grandfather to read him

750-615: A gangster's moll to murder a policeman. Lemon's inarticulate mother tries to stand up for the value of compassion, but she fails and is made to look foolish and weak by Dan's eloquence. Dan is transformed, however, when she becomes ill some years later. Tended lovingly by a nurse, she comes to feel for the first time a sense of loving connection with the world. Lemon is bewildered and alienated by this change in her mentor, and Dan dies soon afterward. Now an invalid herself, Lemon gains no similar insight from her illness or from her memories. Continuing her study of Nazism, she decides that compassion

825-446: A halo from the sun. She was backlit by God. And Bill Goldman looked across the room at her, and he said, 'Well, that's what I wrote.' It was the most perfect thing." Mandy Patinkin and Wallace Shawn were early choices for the cast; Shawn in particular was chosen as Vizzini due to his diminutive size to contrast that of the giant Fezzik. Danny DeVito was considered for the role of Vizzini. When Goldman originally shopped his novel in

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900-536: A kind of freak, but instead simply treated him as a fellow member of the cast. The film was shot in various locations in England and Ireland in late 1986: The framing story scenes, the last to be filmed, were shot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey. Reiner rented a house in England near these sites and frequently invited the cast over for meals and light-hearted get-togethers. Many cast members believed this helped to create

975-437: A long arduous process but when fought for, it can be the most beautiful, passionate thing and fill you with the most joyful feelings". The Princess Bride was not a major box-office success, but it became a cult classic after its release to the home video market. The film is widely regarded as eminently quotable. Elwes noted in 2017, on the film's 30th anniversary, that fans still frequently come up to him and quote lines from

1050-574: A model to which similar films aspire. American Film Institute lists In December 2011, director Jason Reitman staged a live dramatic reading of The Princess Bride script at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), with Paul Rudd as Westley; Mindy Kaling as Buttercup; Patton Oswalt as Vizzini; Kevin Pollak as Miracle Max; Goran Visnjic as Inigo Montoya; Cary Elwes (switching roles) as Humperdinck; director Rob Reiner as

1125-408: A reclusive young woman with an unspecified chronic illness, sits in her apartment reading books about Nazism and reliving her life story. But as she tells the audience, that life story consists mostly of stories she herself was told in childhood by "Aunt Dan", a family friend. In flashback we see the miserable marriage of Lemon's parents and the child's eagerness for escape through Dan's stories. Dan

1200-754: A reprisal of his role as Mr. Hall on Clueless (based on the film). He appeared in the 1985 music video for Chaka Khan 's "This Is My Night". On February 4, 2010, Shawn appeared as Alan Rubin on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart . A Master Builder opened in New York City in June 2014. In 2018, he joined the cast of Young Sheldon in the recurring role of Meemaw's boyfriend and Sheldon's physics professor, Dr. John Sturgis. Shawn stars in Woody Allen's 2020 film Rifkin's Festival , set in San Sebastian , Spain. Shawn

1275-421: A sense of "family" that helped to improve their performances for the film. Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin learned to fence (both left- and right-handed) for the film, and they performed the combat scenes themselves, with the exception of two somersaults performed by stunt doubles. They were trained by fencing instructors Bob Anderson and stunt arranger Peter Diamond , both of whom had also worked on training

1350-463: Is Westley, Buttercup throws herself into the gorge after him, and they are reunited. While making their way through the Fire Swamp to avoid Humperdinck and his soldiers, Westley explains that "Dread Pirate Roberts" is a transferable title that he assumed when the previous Roberts retired. Having found Buttercup, Westley intends to retire himself and pass on the title to someone else. Humperdinck captures

1425-505: Is a 1987 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner and starring Robin Wright , Cary Elwes , Mandy Patinkin , Chris Sarandon , Christopher Guest , Wallace Shawn , and André the Giant . Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel , it tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from

1500-429: Is a charismatic, eccentric figure, who tells the girl of her love affairs with women but also of an intense imaginary romance with Henry Kissinger . Dan's worldview is an application of Kissinger's doctrine of realpolitik to private life—amoral, ruthless, and seeing all relationships in terms of dominance and submission. As the play continues, Dan's stories become more bizarre, including one in which she conspires with

1575-888: Is a collection of essays that express his perceptions of politics and other aspects of his life. Shawn's involvement with theater began in 1970 when he met Andre Gregory , who has since directed several of his plays. As a stage actor, he has appeared mostly in his own plays and other projects with Gregory. He made his film debut in 1979, playing Diane Keaton 's ex-husband in Woody Allen 's Manhattan and an insurance agent in Bob Fosse 's All That Jazz . His best-known film roles include Earl in Strange Invaders (1983) and Mr. Hall in Clueless (1995). After seeing his performance in My Dinner with Andre (1981), casting director Janet Hirshenson

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1650-519: Is also a playwright; his plays include the Obie Award –winning Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985), The Designated Mourner (1996) and Grasses of a Thousand Colors (2008). He wrote and starred, with Andre Gregory , in the 1981 avant-garde drama My Dinner with Andre , and played the title role in A Master Builder (2013), a film adaptation of Henrik Ibsen 's play . Haymarket Books published his books Essays (2009) and Night Thoughts (2017). Shawn

1725-568: Is presumed dead after his ship is attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts . Five years later, Buttercup is forcibly betrothed to Florin's Prince Humperdinck. Before the wedding, she is kidnapped by three outlaws: a small Sicilian man named Vizzini, a giant from Greenland named Fezzik, and a Spanish fencing master named Inigo Montoya , who seeks revenge against a six-fingered man who murdered his father. A masked man in black pursues them, as does Prince Humperdinck and his soldiers. Atop

1800-440: Is to start a war with the neighboring country of Guilder by killing Buttercup and framing Guilder for it. Humperdinck had secretly hired Vizzini to kill Buttercup, but Westley interfered. Meanwhile, Fezzik becomes part of the brute squad ordered to clear the thieves' forest before the wedding. He finds a drunk Inigo living in the forest, whom he sobers up and tells about Rugen. Inigo says that he and Fezzik need Westley's help to storm

1875-582: The 1987 Toronto International Film Festival it won the People's Choice Award . At the 9th Youth in Film Awards Fred Savage won Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama. At the 4th Artios Awards it was nominated for best Feature Film Casting — Comedy. In North America, the film was released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1988 by Nelson Entertainment , the latter being a "bare bones" release in unmatted full screen . New Line Home Video reissued

1950-521: The 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict . He is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace and is on the advisory board. On October 16, 2023, Shawn spoke at a Washington D.C. rally organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow . The rally called for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and for President Joe Biden to support a ceasefire. Also that month, Shawn was among the artists to sign the Artists4Ceasefire campaign's open letter urging Biden to push for

2025-514: The "Dread Pirate Roberts: Greatest Legend of the Seven Seas", "Love is Like a Storybook Story", and "Miraculous Make Up" featurettes, "The Quotable Battle of Wits" game, and Fezzik's "Guide to Florin" booklet. A year later, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the film, MGM and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film with flippable cover art featuring the title displayed in an ambigram . This DVD did not include any bonus features from

2100-912: The Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989), Vanya on 42nd Street (1994), My Favorite Martian (1999), The Double (2013), Maggie's Plan (2015), and Marriage Story (2019). He appeared in six Woody Allen films including Manhattan (1979), Radio Days (1987), and Rifkin's Festival (2020). His television work includes recurring roles as Jeff Engels in The Cosby Show (1987–1991), Grand Nagus Zek in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999), Cyrus Rose in Gossip Girl (2008–2012), and Father Frank Ignatius in Evil (2022–2024). Shawn

2175-448: The Cliffs of Insanity, the man in black defeats Inigo in a fencing duel and knocks him out, chokes Fezzik into unconsciousness, and tricks Vizzini into drinking a deadly poison. He forcibly flees with Buttercup. Buttercup correctly guesses he is the Dread Pirate Roberts, rebukes him for killing Westley, and shoves him into a gorge. While tumbling down, he shouts, "As you wish!" Realizing the man

2250-532: The Criterion Blu-ray and DVD release); excerpts from the novel read by Rob Reiner; behind the scenes footage; a production scrapbook by unit photographer Clive Coote; design sketches by production designer Norman Garwood; and excerpts from the television series Morton and Hayes , directed by Christopher Guest. By 1998, MGM had acquired the US home video rights to the film (as part of the pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment film library package) and released

2325-451: The Family and who had funded production of This is Spinal Tap , with the production to be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Reiner worked closely with Goldman to adapt the book for the screenplay. In a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly , Reiner acknowledged that then-20th Century Fox head Barry Diller also had a prominent role in the film's production, instructing Reiner to make it

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2400-418: The Giant had undergone major back surgery prior to filming and, despite his great size and strength, could not support the weight of Elwes during their fight scene or Wright for a scene at the end of the film. For the wrestling scene, when Elwes hangs on André's back, he was actually walking on a series of ramps below the camera during close-ups. For the wide shots, a stunt double took the place of André. When he

2475-519: The Hound , Shawn was originally to voice Boomer, but dropped out and was replaced by Paul Winchell . In Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore , he replaced Jon Lovitz as the voice of Calico . He also provided the voice of Mr. Mustela in The Addams Family 2 . Shawn has written many plays with socialist themes; much of his work examines the "connective tissue between private psychology and

2550-532: The Making of The Princess Bride , a behind-the-scenes account of the film's production, co-written with Joe Layden. To help Elwes recall the production, Lear sent him a bound copy of the filming's call sheets . The book debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Bestseller list. In addition to a foreword by director Rob Reiner and a limited edition poster, the book includes exclusive photos and interviews with

2625-529: The United States and Vertigo Records internationally in November 1987. The album contains the song "Storybook Love", performed by Willy DeVille and produced by Mark Knopfler. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 60th Academy Awards . In his audio commentary of the film on the special edition DVD, director Rob Reiner said that only Knopfler could create a soundtrack to capture

2700-574: The VHS in 1994. The film was also released on Video CD by Philips . The Criterion Collection released a matted widescreen version, bare bones version on laserdisc in 1989, supplementing it with liner notes . In 1997 Criterion re-released the Laserdisc as a " special edition ". This edition was widescreen and included an audio commentary by Rob Reiner, William Goldman, Andrew Scheinman, Billy Crystal and Peter Falk (this commentary would also later appear on

2775-435: The actors in the original Star Wars trilogy. Elwes and Patinkin spent about three weeks prior to filming learning to fence, and they spent most of their off-camera free time practicing. Anderson encouraged the two to learn the other's choreography for the fight to help them anticipate the movements and avoid an accident. They also watched many sword fights from previous films to see how they could improve on those. André

2850-470: The audience with several contradictory points of view. He has called Aunt Dan and Lemon a cautionary tale against fascism . Shawn's monologue The Fever , originally meant to be performed for small audiences in apartments, depicts a person who becomes sick while struggling to find a morally consistent way to live when faced with injustice, and harshly criticizes the United States' record in supporting oppressive anti-communist regimes. In 1997, Shawn discussed

2925-497: The best films of the 1980s as well as one of Reiner's best works. The film is number 50 on the Bravo 's "100 Funniest Movies", number 88 on The American Film Institute 's (AFI) " AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions " list of the 100 greatest film love stories, and 46 in Channel 4 's 50 Greatest Comedy Films list. The film also won the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation . In 2016,

3000-478: The cast members from the 25th anniversary cast reunion, as well as unique stories and set secrets from the making of the film. In 2018, Savage reprised his role as The Grandson in a PG-13 version of Deadpool 2 entitled Once Upon a Deadpool , with Deadpool taking the role of The Narrator and reading Deadpool 2 's story to him at bedtime and skipping over the more adult parts from the R-rated version. In 2020,

3075-451: The castle, Humperdinck panics and orders the in-progress wedding ceremony to be shortened. Inigo tracks down Rugen, who taunts him about his father's death. Despite his injuries, Inigo eventually kills Rugen. Westley locates Buttercup, who believes she is married to Humperdinck and is about to commit suicide. Westley assures her the marriage is invalid because she never completed her wedding vows. Humperdinck finds them, and challenges Westley to

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3150-455: The castle. Buttercup realizes that Humperdinck did not search for Westley and calls him a coward. Enraged, Humperdinck imprisons Buttercup and tortures Westley to near death. Inigo and Fezzik, who followed Westley's screams through the forest, find his body and bring him to Miracle Max, a folk healer who Humperdinck recently fired. The " mostly dead " Westley is revived by Max, though he is severely weakened. As Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik storm

3225-532: The early 1970s, his first choice for Fezzik was André the Giant , whose wrestling schedule left him unavailable for filming. Goldman's second choice was Arnold Schwarzenegger , who at that time was almost unknown as an actor. However, by the time The Princess Bride was finally green-lit, Schwarzenegger was a major film star and the studio could not afford him. Jenkins contacted the World Wrestling Federation to ask about hiring André, but were told that

3300-479: The film holds a score of 77 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A+" on scale of A to F. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating on their television program . Ebert also wrote a very favorable print review in his column for the Chicago Sun-Times . Richard Corliss of Time said

3375-500: The film on VHS and DVD. The DVD release featured the soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 with the film in wide and full screen versions, and included the original US theatrical trailer . The next year MGM Home Entertainment re-released the film in another widescreen "special edition", this time with two audio commentaries—one by Rob Reiner, the other by William Goldman—"As You Wish", "Promotional", and "Making Of" featurettes ;

3450-457: The film was fun for the whole family, and later, Time listed the film as one of the "Best of '87". Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the cast and the sweetness of the film. The American critic Dalton Mullins praised the film as one of the best love stories ever filmed, writing: "The chemistry between the two leads is palpable and is clear from the first moment they're on screen together. When Buttercup asks Wesley to do something,

3525-695: The film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". A grandfather reads a novel to his sick grandson, who initially dismisses the story. The book is about Buttercup, a young woman living on a farm in the fictional kingdom of Florin. Whenever she tells farmhand Westley to do something, he always complies, saying, "As you wish." The two fall in love, and Westley leaves to seek his fortune overseas so they can marry. However, Westley

3600-553: The film's quirky yet romantic nature. Reiner was an admirer of Knopfler's work but did not know him before working on the film. He sent the script to him hoping he would agree to score the film. Knopfler agreed on one condition: that somewhere in the film Reiner would include the USS ; Coral Sea  (CV-43) baseball cap (which had been modified to say "USS Ooral Sea OV-4B") he wore as Marty DiBergi in This Is Spinal Tap . Reiner

3675-522: The filming conflicted with a wrestling match in Tokyo that would pay him $ 5 million. Jenkins auditioned other tall men, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Lou Ferrigno and Carel Struycken , but these did not pan out. André was hesitant to take the part on the account of the fact that the film's dialogue was in English while he was French and because he was a professional wrestler, not an actor. Furthermore, André

3750-408: The grandfather; and Fred Savage reprising his role as the grandson. In 2013, director Ari Folman released a live-action animated film titled The Congress , which directly referenced The Princess Bride . Folman's film starred Robin Wright , playing both a live and animated version of herself, as a digitally cloned actress. In 2014, Cary Elwes wrote As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from

3825-647: The movie. According to him, Wallace Shawn had it worse because any time he made a small error, like dropping his keys, people would shout "Inconceivable!" at him. In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted The Princess Bride the 38th greatest comedy film of all time. In 2005 The Princess Bride was voted 40th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Family Films poll ahead of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Beetlejuice and just behind Bugsy Malone and Bedknobs & Broomsticks . In 2006, William Goldman's screenplay

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3900-422: The odious Prince Humperdinck. The film preserves the novel's metafictional narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson. The film was first released in the United States on September 25, 1987, and was well received by critics at the time. After only having modest initial box-office success, it has over time become a cult film and gained recognition as one of

3975-406: The older editions, but had new short featurettes and a new game. A Blu-ray Disc was released on March 17, 2009, encoded in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio . Special features included two audio commentaries, the original theatrical trailer and eight featurettes. In 2007, the film was released for download in the iTunes Store . Aunt Dan and Lemon Original 1985 cast 2004 revival cast Lemon,

4050-591: The one-issue-only progressive political magazine Final Edition , which featured interviews with and articles by Jonathan Schell , Noam Chomsky , Mark Strand and Deborah Eisenberg . Shawn is credited as translator of Bertolt Brecht 's The Threepenny Opera , which opened at Studio 54 in Manhattan on March 25, 2006. He appeared briefly in voiceover during "Song about the Futility of Human Endeavor". He published his first nonfiction work, Essays , on September 1, 2009. It

4125-510: The pair after they emerge from the Fire Swamp. Buttercup agrees to return with Humperdinck after he promises to release Westley. Humperdinck secretly orders Count Rugen to take Westley to his torture chamber, the Pit of Despair. After Westley notices that Rugen has six fingers on his right hand, Rugen knocks him out. When Buttercup threatens to fatally stab herself if the wedding happens, Humperdinck falsely promises to find Westley for her. His real plan

4200-412: The political nature of Aunt Dan and Lemon , The Fever and The Designated Mourner in an interview in which he talked extensively about the thematic connections among them, as well as his own views on Marxist , communist and socialist politics, their relevance to American liberalism , and how governmental and individual responsibilities for finding solutions to the dichotomy between rich and poor in

4275-533: The politics of inequality". He identifies as a socialist in the essay "Why I Call Myself a Socialist: Is the World Really a Stage?", which was published online and later in his Essays . In June 2013, Shawn and many other public figures appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning , a U.S. Army soldier imprisoned for leaking classified material. Shawn voiced his support for the Palestinian people during

4350-579: The production was investigated by a vice squad and attacked in Parliament after allegations of pornographic content. Shawn received an Obie Award for playwrighting in 1975, for Our Late Night . Shawn's later plays are more overtly political, drawing parallels between his characters' psychology and the behavior of governments and social classes. Among the best-known of these are Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985) and The Designated Mourner (1997). Shawn's political work has invited controversy, as he often presents

4425-442: The project was put on hiatus. Goldman subsequently bought back the film rights to the novel with his own money. Other directors had also attempted to adapt the book, including François Truffaut , Robert Redford and Norman Jewison , and at one point, Christopher Reeve was interested in playing Westley in one planned adaption. Reiner found success by gaining financial support from Norman Lear , whom Reiner knew from All in

4500-410: The role. Wright's agent had heard of the casting call and encouraged Wright to audition. Though initially shy, Wright impressed Jenkins, and later Reiner. They invited Wright to come meet Goldman at his house. Jenkins recalls: "The doorbell rang. Rob went to the door, and literally, as he opened the door, [Wright] was standing there in this little white summer dress, with her long blonde hair, and she had

4575-449: The scenes in the swamp were especially effective because the characters have been apart for so long and: "the way Wesley cradles Buttercup and the affectionate hug has always been a moment that stood out to me because it accentuates the love between the two characters and reinforces the themes of longing and true love". Mullins called the film the "... greatest romantic, fantasy, adventure story. It flawlessly represents love in that it can be

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4650-595: The semi-autobiographical dialogue My Dinner with Andre , and a combined production-and-backstage-drama of Uncle Vanya titled Vanya on 42nd Street . Shawn quite often appears on television, where he has appeared in many genres and series. He has had recurring roles as the Grand Nagus Zek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Stuart Best on Murphy Brown , Jeff Engels on The Cosby Show , Dr. Howard Stiles on Crossing Jordan , Arnie Ross on Taxi , Charles Lester on both The Good Wife and The Good Fight , and

4725-570: The story again the next day. His grandfather replies, "As you wish." Betsy Brantley appears as the mother of Savage's character and Margery Mason portrays the Ancient Booer who heckles Buttercup in her dream. Willoughby Gray and Anne Dyson portray the King and Queen of Florin. Malcolm Storry plays Prince Humperdinck's chief enforcer Yellin and Paul Badger appears as an assistant brute. Rob Reiner, who had been enamored of Goldman's book ever since he

4800-427: The tension of the unspoken love between the two is profound and dense, especially when they were standing face-to-face right before they professed their undying love for each other." Mullins argued that the phrase "as you wish" sums up the film's philosophy as Westley was willing to suffer any hardship and brave any peril for the woman he loves, which led him to argue the film was a story about "true love". He wrote that

4875-593: The world take hold in his characters. Aunt Dan and Lemon earned Shawn his second Obie Award for playwrighting in 1986, and The Fever won an Obie for Best American Play in 1991. Three of Shawn's plays have been adapted into films: The Designated Mourner (basically a film version of David Hare 's stage production), Marie and Bruce and The Fever . Vanessa Redgrave stars in The Fever (2004), which first aired on HBO on June 13, 2007. Shawn has also written political commentary for The Nation , and in 2004 he published

4950-439: Was apparently carrying Wright, she was actually suspended by cables. Billy Crystal and Carol Kane spent time before traveling to England to work out the backstory between Miracle Max and his wife and develop a rapport for their characters. Once on set, Reiner allowed them to improvise some of their lines. The original soundtrack album was composed by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits . It was released by Warner Bros. Records in

5025-498: Was born on November 12, 1943, in New York City, to a Jewish family. His parents were journalist Cecille (née Lyon) and William Shawn , the longtime editor of The New Yorker . He has younger twin siblings: composer Allen Shawn , and Mary, who is autistic and lives in an institution. Shawn grew up on Manhattan 's Upper East Side . He attended The Putney School , a private liberal arts high school in Putney, Vermont . He graduated with

5100-405: Was given it as a gift from his father , realized he wanted to make the film adaptation after successfully demonstrating his filmmaking skill with the release of This Is Spinal Tap in 1984. During production of Stand by Me , released in 1986, Reiner had spoken to an executive at Paramount Pictures regarding what his next film would be, and suggested the adaptation of The Princess Bride . He

5175-780: Was honored in 2005 with the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a Master American Dramatist. Shawn is a voice actor for animated films and television series, including the Toy Story franchise, Monsters, Inc. (during the outtakes in the closing credits), Kingdom Hearts III , The Incredibles , A Goofy Movie , Family Guy , Happily N'Ever After , Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers , Regular Show , BoJack Horseman and Animal Crackers . Shawn said that Toy Story director John Lasseter might have seen both My Dinner with Andre and The Princess Bride and seen him as "excitable" like Shawn's character, Rex. In The Fox and

5250-493: Was perfect for the part. Elwes had read the book in his childhood and associated himself with the character of Westley, but never believed he would have the opportunity to play him. Robin Wright was cast late in the process, about a week before filming; Reiner and Jenkins had auditioned a number of English actresses but had not found their ideal Buttercup. Uma Thurman , Meg Ryan , Sean Young , Suzy Amis , Courteney Cox , Alexandra Paul and Whoopi Goldberg all auditioned for

5325-513: Was selected by the Writers Guild of America as the 84th best screenplay of all time; it earned the same ranking in the Guild's 2013 update. The film was selected number 88 on The American Film Institute 's (AFI) " AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions " listing the 100 greatest film love stories of all time. BBC Radio 5 's resident film critic, Mark Kermode , is a fan of the film, frequently considering it

5400-706: Was so fond of his delivery of the word "inconceivable" that she cast him as Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), for whom the word is a catchphrase. Other roles include Baron Von Westphalen in Southland Tales , Cyrus Rose on Gossip Girl , and Ezra in The Haunted Mansion (2003). He appeared in Vegas Vacation (1997) as Marty, a blackjack dealer who torments an unlucky Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase ). His rare non-comedic film roles include two collaborations with Andre Gregory and Louis Malle :

5475-553: Was suffering much pain resulting from his acromegaly, which was to eventually lead to his early death. Liam Neeson also auditioned for the role, but he was turned down due to height. Near the end of casting, the World Wrestling Federation told Jenkins that André's match in Tokyo had been cancelled, clearing him to play the role of Fezzik. For his part, André found his participation was a gratifying experience considering that no one stared at him on set during production as

5550-411: Was told they could not, leading Reiner to discover that several studios had previously attempted to bring Goldman's book to the big screen without success. Those previous attempts included 20th Century Fox , which paid Goldman $ 500,000 for the film rights and to do a screenplay in 1973. Richard Lester was signed to direct and the movie was almost made, but the head of production at Fox was fired and

5625-590: Was unable to produce the original cap, but did include a similar cap in the grandson's room. Knopfler later said he was joking. The film premiered at the Ryerson Theatre in Toronto as part of the 1987 Toronto International Film Festival . It went into wide-release later that fall in North America. The film was initially a modest success, grossing $ 30.8 million at the United States and Canada box office, on

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