Ben Affleck recently reflected on the lasting impact of Good Will Hunting, particularly sharing his embarrassment about the acceptance speech he gave with Matt Damon at the 1998 Oscars, a moment that he admits still makes him cringe. The Ben Affleck Good Will Hunting experience, while career-defining, has left both stars with mixed memories about their big night in Hollywood.
Unexpected Triumph at the Oscars
In 1997, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon burst onto the Hollywood scene with Good Will Hunting, a film that showcased Damon’s portrayal of Will Hunting, a Boston school janitor with exceptional genius. The movie, featuring an ensemble cast including Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Robin Williams, garnered critical acclaim. The pair received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, while Robin Williams was honored as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Will’s counselor.
Good Will Hunting attracted attention with seven additional Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Damon, though it ultimately lost Best Picture to Titanic. Despite the anticipation surrounding the awards, both Affleck and Damon were genuinely unprepared for their win. They never seriously discussed what they would say in an acceptance speech, fearing it might jinx their chances if they did not win.
Recalling an Awkward Speech
During a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Affleck candidly described his feelings about their Oscar speech as far from fond.
I just feel so… like, I thanked Boston as a city three times. Was that necessary?
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
The duo’s lack of preparation became apparent when they took the stage. Matt Damon explained how their disbelief led to chaos at the microphone, admitting they had failed to coordinate their remarks.
The funny thing about it, actually,
—Matt Damon, Actor—
the reason it’s kind of disorganized was because we never ever had a conversation between ourselves about what we would say. because honestly, each of us knew deep down that if we had that conversation and didn’t win, in 50 years we’d be at some bar in Boston going ‘Can you f’ing believe we f’ing wrote an Oscars speech? You jackass.’ So when we got up there, I remember I pushed Ben into the microphone. I was like, ‘I’m not doing it.’
Affleck remembered being at a loss as he accepted the award.
I’m like, ‘What am I supposed to say?’
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
So I do, in some ways, think it would have been smart to think a little bit about what I was going to say in front of the whole world.
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
The magnitude of their achievement was overwhelming. In his own words on stage, Affleck confessed to Damon that the experience was “really, really scary.” Damon also recalled that, in their flustered state, they wound up expressing gratitude to several people more than once.
a number of people multiple times.
—Matt Damon, Actor.
From Watching at Home to Center Stage
The journey from viewers to honorees seemed almost surreal for Affleck and Damon. Affleck reflected on just how unlikely their presence at the Oscars felt at the time:
The year before that Oscars, we watched the show in Somerville, Mass., in a little apartment like everybody else, just totally on the outside,
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
So it still felt like we were the people watching the show who, all of a sudden, the screen opened up and you walked into it, like one of those weird dreams.
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
The host that year, Billy Crystal, made an impression on Affleck and Damon from the stage, even giving the duo a musical shout-out that stuck with them. Affleck recently recounted to Crystal how much that moment meant:
I said, ‘You know, Billy, that will always stay with me in my life,’
—Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
I had been watching him doing the Oscars from home, and then we get nominated, which is a shock to me, and we’re there, and he comes out and his first bit is to do a song: ‘Matt and Ben, Ben and Matt.’ It truly blew me away.
— Ben Affleck, Actor and Director.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
Matt Damon, whose career has since included major roles like Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey, described the entire Oscar event as overwhelming.
It was way too much to metabolize,
—Matt Damon, Actor—
It took years, I think, for it to kind of sink in.
Both Affleck and Damon have maintained their collaborative relationship, now starring together in Netflix’s The Rip alongside Kyle Chandler, Steven Yeun, and Teyana Taylor. The story, set in Miami, revolves around detectives who discover a hidden fortune, setting off questions of loyalty within their team. The Rip will be available for streaming starting January 16.
The night of the Good Will Hunting Oscar speech will always be a pivotal point for both Affleck and Damon, marking the beginning of their rise from friends in Boston to Hollywood powerhouses, shaping their futures in film and beyond.
