More than 20 years since Good Will Hunting was released, Matt Damon looks back on his favorite scene with friend and co-star Ben Affleck. The 1997 coming-of-age film follows the story of Will Hunting (Damon), a 20-year-old janitor who's also an unrecognized genius. After assaulting a police officer, he receives therapy and studies advanced mathematics under the tutelage of a renowned professor. There, Will is able to reflect on his life choices, relationships, and future. Damon and Affleck wrote the screenplay together and starred alongside veteran actors including Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgard, and Minnie Driver.
Good Will Hunting was a surprise hit at the box office, grossing over $225 million against its $10 million budget. It also received praises from film critics and won multiple recognitions, including Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Its success made the childhood friends, who were only in their early 20s at the time, two of the most sought-after young stars in Hollywood. Now, Damon fondly recalls one unforgettable scene he and Affleck filmed for the classic movie.
The 50-year-old actor appeared on First We Feast's "Hot Ones" show where he talked about some of the iconic roles he's played throughout his 25 years in the industry. Damon revealed that his favorite Good Will Hunting scene with Affleck was the one where his character told Will to leave town. It's a big moment for Affleck, who has been intently preparing for it. According to Damon, Affleck gave such a convincing performance that the director only needed one take. Damon recalled that his pal was so shaken with emotions that he asked to do the scene a few more times.
Ben was so shocked, because we'd been imagining this day for so long. He looked at me and I was like, 'I think Gus [the director] is right, I think we've got it.' So he kind of insisted on doing it again. So we did it only three times--and I don't know which take Gus used because they were all great. But the look of bewilderment on his face, that this thing he'd been waiting so long to do was like over in 20 minutes. That was probably my favorite scene.
Damon's good memory of the scene clearly speaks of his respect and admiration for his childhood pal and longtime collaborator. Aside from being the film that launched his Hollywood career, Good Will Hunting also proved the magic of Damon and Affleck's collaboration. Damon actually wrote the script for one of his playwriting classes at Harvard and asked Affleck to develop it further. The two have known each other since they were kids and shared the dream of becoming actors. Today, Damon and Affleck both enjoy megastar status in Hollywood.
While Damon and Affleck's careers have taken separate paths since Good Will Hunting, it's impossible to list one's accomplishments without mentioning the other. Their tandem will be tested again in the upcoming historical drama, The Last Duel. It's their highly-anticipated professional reunion where they once again are credited to write, produce, and star in one project. Thankfully for their fans, the two Oscar winners have also managed to maintain a real-life friendship over the years, so this certainly won't be their last team-up.
Source: First We Feast