Matt Damon’s Role in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Is in Part Due to Robin Williams
Matt Damon has had one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood. One of his most iconic movies is Saving Private Ryan.
In a September interview for GQ magazine, Damon recounted how he almost didn’t end up playing Private Ryan.
Steven Speilberg’s ‘Saving Private Ryan’ is noted as one of the best war movies of all time
The 1998 film is considered one of the most realistic cinematic depictions of the World War II Invasion of Normandy. Many regard it as director Steven Spielberg’s best movie.
It also launched the careers of Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Edward Burns, and Adam Goldberg. Tom Hanks, Ted Danson, Bryan Cranston, and Paul Giamatti were also a part of the film’s super talented cast.
Saving Private Ryan won five Academy Awards in 1999, including Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing, and Best Director.
Matt Damon almost didn’t play Private Ryan
In his interview with GQ, Damon said that he had auditioned for Saving Private Ryan before production on Good Will Hunting started, a 1997 film he wrote with Ben Affleck.
“I had put myself on tape, and I read for Private Ryan, and I hadn’t been cast,” The Departed actor revealed. His luck would change when Speilberg came to Boston to shoot his own movie.
“When we were in Boston, we were rehearsing for Good Will Hunting. Spielberg came in because he was shooting Amistad,” Damon explained. “Robin took Ben and me to meet Steven because he knew it was never a bad thing to meet the greatest filmmaker of all time.”
Robin Williams and Steven Spielberg were friends from ‘Hook’
Williams and Speilberg worked together on the 1991 fantasy comedy Hook, where the former played a grown-up Peter Pan.
They kept in touch with weekly phone calls. Speilberg credits William’s calls as a stress reliever while shooting Schindler’s List and editing Jurassic Park at the same time. Williams introduced Damon to his future boss.
Steven Speilberg originally believed Matt Damon was too thin to be Private Ryan
Damon didn’t mention his audition tape to the Schindler’s List director when they first met. “He met me in person and he said, ‘I think I know you from somewhere.’ I said, ‘I did this movie called Courage Under Fire.’
Spielberg recognized him immediately. “He goes, ‘That’s the one. You know I said to my wife that’s the exact type of person I would want to play Private Ryan, but he’s too thin.’ I had lost forty pounds because I was playing a heroin addict.”
Matt Damon credits Robin Williams for his future success
Damon eventually got the role but still credits his Good Will Hunting co-star for his success in Saving Private Ryan. “It was only because Robin had introduced me to [Spielberg] that he went, ‘Oh OK, no. You’re the kind of guy I’m looking for that job. Robin not only got [my and Affleck’s] dream in Good Will Hunting made. He actually got me the role in Saving Private Ryan as well, in a way.”
Damon will now star as a knight in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Medieval drama The Last Duel. Killing Eve actor Jodie Comer plays his wife, who accuses his best friend and fellow soldier (Adam Driver) of rape.
Damon and Affleck co-wrote the script with Nicole Holofcener. The Last Duel hits theaters on Oct.13.
