If you enjoyed the psychological drama film, Good Will Hunting (1997), you must give Sylvester Stallone some credit.
Good Will Hunting is still regarded as a significant achievement by both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Both actors contributed to writing the 1997 Gus Van Sant psychological drama flick. Not to forget, the actors’ performances in the film received high praise.
However, Affleck and Damon had to navigate a challenging and tense path to success. Thankfully, everything came together as it should, and Damon ended up playing the movie’s lead role. However, it is noteworthy that The Martian actor has previously been given credit to an accomplished actor, who had no involvement in the production of his Oscar-winning film.
Damon once claimed that the studios wanted to cast someone else in the role he ultimately played when they were shopping for the screenplay for 1997’s Gus Van Sant film.
Stallone, who not only starred in but also wrote the screenplay for Rocky, gave Damon the motivation to compete for the part (in Good Will Hunting) that would ultimately launch his career as a movie star.
Matt Damon Gave Sylvester Stallone Credit for His Part in Good Will Hunting
For decades, the legendary story of Matt Damon‘s rise to fame in Hollywood from struggling beginnings has provided a motivational source for aspiring actors in the industry. Furthermore, one of his earliest and finest films also plays a significant role in the interest in his ascent.
It is well-known how Good Will Hunting came to be successful; many moviegoers can and will recall the difficulties Damon and his friend, Ben Affleck faced in order to launch the movie before it eventually found success and a lasting legacy at the Academy Awards.
But, what people might not be aware of, though, is how Rocky star, Sylvester Stallone contributed to the success of Good Will Hunting’s translation from book to screen, albeit indirectly.
In his reflection on the plot of Good Will Hunting, Damon said to Sunday Today:
“Stallone, that was like our code word. We’d go into these meetings and these people would say ‘You guys can’t play the parts. I mean, come on.’ They wanted Brad [Pitt] and Leo [Leonardo DiCaprio]. We were like, ‘Sylvester Stallone.’ Yes we can play the parts, we are playing the parts.”
The 52-year-old actor was alluding to Stallone’s determination to star in Rocky as well as his tenacity in bringing the film to the screen. Similar to the negotiations between Damon and Affleck, studios were hesitant to give a movie’s lead role to an unknown actor because more prominent stars might be able to attract larger audiences.
Was Leonardo DiCaprio The Potential Candidate to Play Lead?
In his speech at the 2016 National Board of Review Awards gala in New York, Matt Damon mentioned how Sylvester Stallone helped him keep his Good Will Hunting role. According to the actor (via Vanity Fair), the studio executives
“Really wanted to take it away from us,” with names like Leonardo DiCaprio being mentioned as potential candidates for the movie’s lead role.
But Damon remained steadfast in his opposition to the studio, saying:
“Every time they said, ‘You can not do this’. We said, ‘Actually it is been done before.'”
Damon referred to Stallone’s decision to adopt Rocky for the big screen, which changed his life.
Being an unknown at the time, Stallone also had to deal with studio pressure to let someone else star in Rocky. Thus, other, more accomplished actors were being considered for the movie’s title role, according to Forbes.
But like his boxing persona, Stallone insisted on being cast as Rocky Balboa and stood his ground. The studio finally gave in, and he was given the role of the film’s protagonist.
For the unversed, despite having a $10 million budget, Good Will Hunting made over $225 million during its theatrical run and received favorable reviews from critics.
Good Will Hunting is streaming on the Max Amazon Channel and DIRECTV.
Source- Sunday Today
