While he may have never “ridden a bull until it fell asleep,” he has lived a fascinating life; he’s Jonathan Goldsmith. He is the actor who portrayed “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” and he’s coming to the GAINS Summit 2022: Reconnect.
Supply chain planners can attest that the last few years have been quite an adventure, and they know the future also looks turbulent. Jonathan Goldsmith will share his approach to life that while things may not be easy, you can always make them “interesting.”
As an actor, Jonathan Goldsmith has worked with titans of the American Theatre; in his first year as a working actor in New York, he worked with William Inge, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams. Later he shared the stage with a little-known actor at the time, Dustin Hoffman, as the two were often up for the same roles.
After finding early success in New York, as many actors do, Jonathan made the cross-country trip to Hollywood, where he spent his early days there sleeping on the couch of fellow actor Walter Koening better known as TV’s Mr. Chekov from Star Trek. After being turned down by a Hollywood agent, Jonathan counted himself down but not out. “A Goldsmith never gives up,” his father told him. He quickly found work in a slightly less glamorous profession as a sanitation worker.
Not long after, Mr. Goldsmith secured a role on the Classic TV show “Gunsmoke” after assuring the director that he could “ride like the wind,” which he couldn’t. “I may hold the record for the falling off the most horses in Hollywood,” he stated in his 2017 book “Stay Interesting.”
After leaving Hollywood for many years, starting his own business, retiring to the High Sierras, and giving up acting, Jonathan became an overnight success at 68 years old as the star of beer commercials. He was asked to improvise a scene that concluded with the line “… and that’s how I came to arm wrestle Fidel Castro.” After initially being told he was too old, Jonathan beat out 500 other actors for the role of “The Most Interesting Man in the World.”
Jonathan Goldsmith’s life is filled with fascinating stories, so GAINS has asked him to share some with us on our dinner cruise of Lake Michigan on the opening night of our GAINS Summit 2022: Reconnect. Mr. Goldsmith will be sharing interesting tales from his life, taking photos, and signing copies of his book for Summit attendees.
Sign up now to register for GAINS Summit 2022: Reconnect in Downtown Chicago on September 28 and 29.
Accommodations are available at the Sheraton Grand Riverwalk, across from the University of Chicago Gleacher Center. Book your room today as the GAINS Summit 2022: Reconnect discount is only available through September 1.
