William Goldman, screenwriter of “The Princess Bride,”“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men” died Friday at the age of 87. A playwright and novelist who transitioned into screenwriting, Goldman was a self-effacing success who began his 1983 memoir with “Nobody knows anything,” a confession that since became a Hollywood truism despite his award-winning, virtually unparalleled influence on industry storytelling conventions.

Goldman won an Oscar for his 1969 script for “Butch Cassidy,” and another seven years later for “All the President’s Men,” his adaptation of the book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Though he considered himself a Hollywood outcast in the 1980s, he nevertheless managed to craft two of that decade’s most indelible stories - “The Princess Bride,” based on his book of the same name, and “Misery,” a box office and critical smash that at the time was considered one of Stephen King’s least adaptable novels. He parlayed that clout into an ongoing gig as a script doctor or consultant, often uncredited, on everything from “A Few Good Men” to “Good Will Hunting.”

Per Variety, Goldman’s daughter Jenny confirmed the news Friday morning, after he succumbed to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. His two memoirs about his time in Hollywood, “Adventures in the Screen Trade” and “Which Lie Did I Tell?” remain some of the most vivid, honest and engaging insider portraits of the entertainment industry. He is survived by Jenny and Susanna Goldman, his two daughters, as well as a body of work, and a legacy, that continues to entertain and inspire aspiring storytellers today.