During a recent discussion on The Howard Stern Show, Ben Affleck expressed regret about the unplanned nature of his and Matt Damon’s acceptance speech after their win for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting at the Oscars. Affleck’s reflections on that 1998 moment have reignited interest in the Ben Affleck Good Will Hunting story, especially regarding the unexpected impact of sudden stardom and live television.
Oscar Triumph Changes Everything for Affleck and Damon
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, childhood friends from Boston, achieved overnight fame with their film Good Will Hunting, also starring Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Casey Affleck, and Cole Hauser. The movie centered on Matt Damon’s character, Will Hunting, a school janitor with a genius mind. Their acclaimed script earned them the coveted Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Robin Williams won for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance as Will’s counselor. The film amassed several other nominations, including Best Picture, only losing to Titanic.
Stunned by the recognition, Affleck and Damon never believed their project would bring them Oscars. That disbelief was at the heart of their lack of preparation for the acceptance speech. As the Oscar ceremony approached, neither Affleck nor Damon could envision themselves on stage, making their moment under the spotlight all the more intense, especially with so many accomplished actors and filmmakers present.
An Unforgettable Yet Disorganized Oscar Speech
Ben Affleck reflected on that moment, recalling a wave of emotions and second-guessing his rushed remarks.
I just feel so… like, I thanked Boston as a city three times. Was that necessary?
?Ben Affleck, Actor and Director
Affleck wasn’t alone in feeling overwhelmed. Matt Damon, speaking on the radio show, confessed that the speech’s chaotic nature was directly due to their disbelief that they would ever win.
The funny thing about it, actually,
?Matt Damon, Actor and Writer
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.’
?Matt Damon, Actor and Writer
Affleck was similarly caught off guard, pushed into the spotlight by Damon and left improvising his remarks.
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 excitement of the win meant they thanked a variety of colleagues and loved ones, sometimes multiple times, as Damon pointed out.
a number of people multiple times.
?Matt Damon, Actor and Writer
The Reality of Stardom Sets In
The magnitude of the Oscars victory was not lost on Affleck and Damon. Just a year before the ceremony, they were watching the show like any other fans, in a small apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, never imagining themselves as part of Hollywood’s elite.
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
Affleck also recalled being recognized by the event’s host, Billy Crystal, which for him made the experience feel even more surreal and significant. Crystal opened his show with a musical bit about
“Matt and Ben, Ben and Matt,”
a gesture that left a lasting impression on them both.
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 with Hindsight and Moving Forward
Years later, Matt Damon admitted the entire experience was overwhelming, something he did not fully process until much later in life.
It was way too much to metabolize,
?Matt Damon, Actor and Writer
It took years, I think, for it to kind of sink in.
?Matt Damon, Actor and Writer
Since their Oscar win, Ben Affleck has gone on to achieve continued success, earning another Academy Award as producer for Argo and taking roles as iconic as Batman in Justice League. Matt Damon continues his acclaimed acting career and will appear as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey. They remain close friends and recently reunited on screen. Their latest film, The Rip, also featuring Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, and Steven Yeun, tells the story of cops discovering millions in a Miami stash house and confronting trust issues among the team. The Rip will be available to stream on Netflix starting January 16, further evidence of their enduring partnership in Hollywood.
The Ben Affleck Good Will Hunting journey reflects not just the story of sudden success, but also the lasting impact such moments can have on those who experience them. Affleck and Damon’s honest reflections show that even for celebrated writers and actors, the weight of a life-changing win can take years to understand—and that the friendships and lessons that come from it last far beyond the stage.
