If you can believe it, “Good Will Hunting” released 28 years ago today, on December 5, 1997.
Written by college friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Affleck, Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård, the brilliant drama movie was nominated for an impressive nine Academy Awards.
It won two of them â Best Supporting Actor for Williams, and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon â with the likes of Van Sant, Damon, and Driver left disappointed after losing out in their nominated categories.
Its legacy lives on, and what better way to commemorate its anniversary than by taking a look at the core cast as they were then, and as they are now?
Matt Damon (Will Hunting)
As well as co-writing the screenplay for “Good Will Hunting,” Matt Damon starred as the eponymous character â a 20-year-old janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from South Boston, who also happens to be a self-taught mathematics genius.
Per IMDb, “Good Will Hunting” was Damon’s first screenwriting credit and only the tenth movie he had ever appeared in, so for him to win the Academy Award for the former and be nominated for the latter was quite the admirable achievement. He was 27 at the time of the film’s release.
GettyNow 55, Damon has had a hugely impressive Hollywood career. He’s appeared in countless notable movies, including 1998’s epic war film “Saving Private Ryan,” 1999’s psychological thriller “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” 2001’s heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven,” 2015’s epic sci-fi flick “The Martian,” and as the titular Jason Bourne in the iconic “Bourne” action franchise.
He’s been nominated for three more Academy Awards without winning. They were for Best Supporting Acting for 2010’s sports movie “Invictus,” Best Actor for the aforementioned “The Martian,” and Best Picture for producing 2017’s drama movie “Manchester by the Sea.”
As something of a philanthropist, he’s also heavily involved in politics and activism. Amongst other things, he’s one of the founders of Not On Our Watch Project, and a spokesperson for Feeding America.
GettyBen Affleck (Chuckie Sullivan)
Ben Affleck was 25 when “Good Will Hunting” released. He played Chuckie Sullivan, the loyal childhood friend of Hunting and a construction worker.
Per IMDb, exactly like Damon, the movie was the first screenplay he’d ever written and the tenth he’d appeared in as an actor. It was, therefore, quite the achievement for him to win the screenwriting Academy Award.
GettyAffleck is now 53 and is one of Hollywood’s biggest names. His impressive list of movie credits include 1998’s sci-fi disaster blockbuster “Armageddon,” 2001’s romantic war film “Pearl Harbor,” 2014’s psychological thriller “Gone Girl,” and playing Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, in the superhero movies “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League” in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
He’s also an acclaimed director and has helmed six movies, including 2012’s historical political espionage drama thriller “Argo,” and 2023’s biographical sports drama “Air.” For “Argo,” he won the Academy Award for Best Director.
Like Damon, he’s also involved in politics and philanthropy. Notably, he co-founded the nonprofit organization Eastern Congo Initiative, and is a supporter of the A-T Children’s Project.
GettyRobin Williams (Dr. Sean Maguire)
The late, great Robin Williams played Dr. Sean Maguire in “Good Will Hunting.” After previously being nominated for three Best Actor gongs â for 1988’s war comedy-drama “Good Morning, Vietnam,” 1990’s coming-of-age drama “Dead Poets Society,” and 1992’s fantasy comedy-drama “The Fisher King” â Williams’ role as Maguire won him his first and only Academy Award, for Best Supporting Actor.
Maguire is a therapist and professor of psychology at Bunker Hill Community College from South Boston. He takes on the eponymous Hunting as a patient. Williams was 46 when “Good Will Hunting” released.
GettyIn one of the greatest losses to the movie world in Hollywood history, Williams tragically took his own life on August 11, 2014. He was only 63. The beloved star had endured a series of health issues â both physical and mental â and was severely depressed in the months before his passing.
Per IMDb, Williams had an iconic career both before and after “Good Will Hunting” and was the movie’s biggest star. He went on to appear in the likes of 1998’s comedy-drama movie “Patch Adams,” 2002’s psychological thriller “One Hour Photo,” and as Theodore Roosevelt in the “Night at the Museum” fantasy comedy franchise.
He is sorely missed. May he rest in eternal peace.
GettyMinnie Driver (Skylar Satenstein)
British-American actress Minnie Driver was 27 when she played Skylar Satenstein in “Good Will Hunting.” Satenstein is a wealthy British student studying at Harvard University and the love interestg of the titular character. Driver’s performance saw her nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
She wasn’t a superstar before appearing in “Good Will Hunting,” having only appeared five feature-length theatrical movies before it, but some of her credits were notable. Per IMDb, those movies included 1995’s spy action movie “GoldenEye,” 1996’s legal crime drama “Sleepers,” and 1997’s action-comedy thriller “Grosse Pointe Blank.”
GettyDriver is now 55 and her subsequent notable movie credits include the likes of 1998’s action thriller “Hard Rain,” 1999’s animated adventure comedy-drama “Tarzan,” 2004’s jukebox musical fantasy comedy “Ella Enchanted,” and 2004’s musical romantic drama “The Phantom of the Opera.”
She has also appeared prominently on television. Her leading or recurring roles include sitcom “Will & Grace,” drama “The Riches,” sitcom “About a Boy,” and sitcom “Speechless.”
GettyStellan Skarsgård (Professor Gerald Lambeau)
Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd played Professor Gerald Lambeau in “Good Will Hunting.” Lambeau is a Fields Medal-winning professor of mathematics at MIT. He identifies Hunting’s genius and has him study mathematics under his supervision. SkarsgÃ¥rd was 46 at the time of the film’s release.
Prior to appearing in “Good Will Hunting,” SkarsgÃ¥rd was already a long-established and respected actor. His roles at the time were predominantly, but not limited to, movies produced out of his native Scandinavia. Per IMDb, his movie credits up to that point included 1990’s spy thriller “The Hunt for Red October,” 1991’s drama “The Ox,” 1992’s sports drama “Wind,” and 1993’s drama “The Slingshot.”
GettySkarsgÃ¥rd’s Hollywood career exploded after his appearance in “Good Will Hunting.” His movie credits now included 1998’s neo-noir action thriller “Ronin,” 1999’s sci-fi horror “Deep Blue Sea,” 2003’s experimental arthouse drama “Dogville,” Bootstrap Bill Turner in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, and Erik Selvig in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Meanwhile, the veteran star is also the proud father of no less than eight children. They include actor sons Alexander, Gustaf, Bill, Valter, and Kolbjörn.
GettyHappy 28th Birthday, “Good Will Hunting!”
The post PHOTOS: The ‘Good Will Hunting’ Cast Then & Now appeared first on EntertainmentNow.