Matt Damon got his breakthrough role in the industry with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with his best friend Ben Affleck. The coming-of-age story was a passion project of the duo and they worked hard to get it made. Getting someone as prolific as Robin Williams to play a supporting role was a big win for them.
The celebrated comedian delivered one of his best dramatic performances in the film playing Damon’s mentor. Good Will Hunting was directed by Gus Van Sant and the director had many amazing stories to tell about how Williams worked. He even revealed one problem of his, that differed from his own ways of shooting takes.
Robin Williams Had A Habit Of Shooting Multiple Takes With Varying Performances
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, and Robin Williams starred in the 1997 coming-of-age drama film Good Will Hunting. The film chronicles the journey of a mathematics genius and his evolving dynamic with a psychology professor, while also finding his greater purpose in life. Damon (Will) and Williams (Sean) had some intense yet poignant scenes together in the film.
Director Gus Van Sant did a great job showcasing Will’s complex history and how the character slowly opens up about his problems to Sean. On the other hand, Williams delivers an understated and grounded performance, being the yin to Will’s yang. They both learn from each other through their conversations about life and individuals.
Williams is known for being a comedic genius and for his improv skills, which he shows off in many of his films. However, Van Sant was not the kind of director who goes for multiple takes unnecessarily. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director revealed that the only problem that Williams had as an actor was he asked for so many takes.
The My Own Private Idaho filmmaker stated that Williams was aware of how multiple takes of a scene benefitted the editing process, and the actor gave a different performance in every take. He gave a different dialogue delivery and sometimes infused humor in some takes. Van Sant said,
Robin had a lot of ideas. His only problem was he wanted to do a lot of takes — a slow one, a fast one, a funny one, a funny fast one, a funny slow one. … He knew that in the editing, they need that kind of stuff. But if I get a good take, I try to stop. He’d get me up to seven or eight just by begging, ‘Please, please? One more? One more?’
Williams’ heartwarming performances won him several accolades, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Good Will Hunting was a big hit at the box office, grossing $225 million against a $10 million budget (via The Numbers). It is considered one of the best films of the 90s and in the actors’ respective careers.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Were in Tears Seeing Good Will Hunting Come to Life
The road to making Good Will Hunting was not easy and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck pitched the film to many producers to get it made. The young actors did not have high hopes of getting high-profile actors to be in the film. However, they got legends like Robin Williams and Stellan Skarsgård to play pivotal roles in the film.
In an interview with Boston Magazine, Damon revealed that he and Affleck were in tears on the first day of filming as they saw both these legendary actors mouthing the lines they wrote. The best friends were so happy and relieved, as their dream was finally coming true. The Jason Bourne star said,
The very first day, I remember we started crying because it was a scene between Robin and Stellan. And when Gus called action and we watched these guys—I mean accomplished actors—do our scene verbatim, we had waited so long for this to happen. I remember just sitting next to Ben and I had tears rolling down my cheeks because I was just so happy and relieved that it was really happening.
The hard work and conviction of the young actors/writers paid off as they won The Best Original Screenplay award at the Oscars. Their journey in getting the film made is nothing but inspiring and it proves that they were not just actors looking for a quick paycheck. They had so much to say and their love for cinema is profound.
Fans can watch Good Will Hunting on Max.
