The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya actor, Mandy Patinkin, recently celebrated the movie's 35th anniversary with an emotional post. The fantasy adventure film, directed by Rob Reiner and based on William Goldman's 1973 novel of the same name, is often considered among the best works of the 1980s, and has built a cult following in the years since its release. Framed as a story read to a young boy, The Princess Bride follows Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand who, accompanied by a group of companions, sets out to rescue his true love from a loathsome prince. In addition to Patinkin and Elwes, the film's cast includes Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Peter Falk, and Fred Savage.
The character of Inigo Montoya was hired to kidnap and kill Princess Buttercup before a duel with Westley landed him in the Thieves' Forest. Eventually aiding in saving Westley's life, Montoya assisted in his efforts to rescue the princess, thus allowing him the opportunity to get revenge against his father's murderer, Count Rugen. Over the years, Patinkin's Princess Bride character has become a favorite as more audiences continue to discover the film, and the actor himself has taken to social media before to interact with fans of Montoya.
Following The Princess Bride's 35th anniversary, Patinkin shared a series of videos on Twitter recounting his time spent making the movie. In a touching post, he expressed his gratitude for the film, and revealed one of his greatest memories on set. He noted a particular instance in which Reiner had him tackle a fight sequence in one shot and the emotions he felt when he realized he would not get to do it again. Read Patinkin's comments regarding The Princess Bride below:
"And then the greatest moment of memory, when all was said and done, and we’d gotten all the angles and we shot the fight from a million different angles, Rob was happy, and we thought we were finished. [We] did the last moments and he said, 'Listen, guys, are you okay if we put two cameras up in the ceiling, and you run the whole fight all in one? Not pieces, but the whole thing all together?' And we were like two little kids going, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re okay.' Up go the cameras, and he says, 'Action,' and we started doing it, and it just flew. At the end of it, he goes, 'Cut,' and he said those horrible words for me, which was, 'Print,' which meant that we got it, and that meant that we wouldn’t do it again. I just miss it to this day, I’m such a f----ng crybaby, but it was so incredible to work on with everyone. So, when you’d hear him say, 'Cut, print,' my heart would drop, because it would mean, 'That’s it? No more?' And that one last time, that was it, no more. It was a great time in my life."
The Princess Bride's Legacy Explained
The Princess Bride was not regarded as a box office success upon its initial release in 1987, but it later gained longevity through home viewing. Studios have expressed interest in remaking or rebooting The Princess Bride for years, though much of the original cast and crew appear against the idea, and while discussions surrounding a potential sequel have been made, nothing has ever come to fruition. A beloved classic widely referenced to this day, not only has it been preserved in the National Film Registry, but it is ranked in countless lists of the best comedy and romantic films of all time.
Patinkin's thoughts on making The Princess Bride seem to reflect those of his fellow cast members, with Elwes and Wright having fondly discussed their experiences in the past. The rise of streaming has likely contributed to its legacy as well, allowing new audiences to discover the story on their own. Fans of The Princess Bride and Patinkin's character will enjoy learning about the fun that was had behind-the-scenes, and may desire a re-watch in celebration of 35 years.
Source: Mandy Patinkin/Twitter