Matt Damon believes he would not have won the Oscar for ‘Good Will Hunting’ in 1998, alongside pal Ben Affleck, if he had not missed another significant role. After both actors auditioned for the role of Aaron Stampler in ‘Primal Fear,’ Edward Norton was chosen as the lead by the makers. Dejected with the loss, they buckled down and wrote the script ‘a little more desperately.’
Matt Damon reveals how he and Ben Affleck wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay
Matt Damon recalled the time he and Ben Affleck were fueled to write the screenplay for ‘Good Will Hunting’ during a conversation with Complex, alongside Tom Holland. The disappointment of not being selected for ‘Primal Fear’ led to a sparkling energy. “It was actually a real impetus behind us writing ‘Good Will Hunting’ because when Ben and I went out for that role, and Edward beat out everybody, and as he should have, he was phenomenal in the movie,” Damon said.“And [we] looked at each other, and we were like, there’s never gonna be a role that good that comes down into the category of unknown actor, and we all can take a shot at it, but it’s, you know, 10,000 people going for this one thing. So we really buckled down and wrote ‘Good Will Hunting’ a little more desperately,” the actor continued about the 1998 win. ‘Primal Fear’ marked the debut of Edward Norton, who earned a Golden Globe Award for his role and an Academy Award nomination.
About ‘The Odyssey’
Matt Damon and Tom Holland are widely praised for their work in Christopher Nolan’s epic film, ‘The Odyssey.’ Based on Homer’s poem, Damon plays Odysseus, and Holland plays his son, Telemachus. Released on July 17, 2026, the film continues to mint millions across the globe.
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