Actress Minnie Driver says that she was told that she was not "hot enough" for the role of Skylar in Good Will Hunting. Driver was 26 years old when she landed the role in the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck drama directed by Gus Van Sant. The film, which co-starred Robin Williams, ended up winning two Oscars (Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Williams) and became a major launching point for Affleck and Damon.
At the time of her casting, Driver had already starred in a number of film and TV projects, including Goldeneye, Sleepers, and the British comedy series My Good Friend. She would go on to star in many more notable titles, including Grosse Pointe Blank, Return To Me, and Speechless on ABC. Driver is currently appearing in the HBO Max series Starstruck and is poised to appear in the upcoming Shakespeare retelling Rosaline.
Talking to The Cut, Driver discusses getting the role of Skylar in Good Will Hunting, saying that she was initially told that she "wasn't hot enough" for the part. This is something that devastated her, especially as a young ingenue in Hollywood at the time. "To be told at 26 that you’re not sexy when you maybe just got over all your teenage angst, and started to think, you know, 'Maybe in the right light and the right shoes and the right dress, I’m all right,'" says Driver, reflecting on the moment. She notes that nothing has changed in that regard, elaborating on the uncertainty of maintaining decades-long career in Hollywood:
By the way, that is something that has not changed — there are still just times when people are like ‘she’s too old’ or ‘she’s too tall.' I’ve always thought about how things get distilled. There’s this notion of one part of you being ‘the thing’ that will block all these other aspects of who you are. That’s a huge frustration as an actor.
Driver says that a big part of getting over the uglier nature of working as an actress was the support of her family, who would offer up some blunt advice when dealing with rejection as an actress. Like most in Hollywood, the Starstruck star is not immune to harsh words and undue criticism, but Driver's career has also proven that she has the guts and talent required to stick it out. Though Good Will Hunting is best known as a showcase for Damon, Affleck, and Williams, there's little question that Driver's Skylar played a key role in the overall story. Good Will Hunting would be very different without her.
Driver sadly isn't the only actress who has faced criticism over her looks, and she likely won't be the last, no matter how much one might wish she was. Nevertheless, Driver has moved on from the years of Good Will Hunting and built up an impressive career, effectively silencing the naysayers. While the casting process in Hollywood is known to be arduous and often demoralizing, it's also one of the stark realities of the craft of filmmaking. One can only hope it will change in the future, and perhaps as more stars like Driver speak out, something positive will come out of it. Performers should be evaluated based on talent, and little else.
Source: The Cut