'Good Will Hunting' Facts: 7 Things You Might Not Have Known About the 1997 Classic

Matt Damon took the lead in the classic 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, playing the title character, a mathematically gifted young man with the IQ of a genius. Despite his smarts, he goes about his days working as a janitor at MIT. When his skills are discovered by a professor there, he is eventually led toward a therapist, Sean Maguire, played by the talented Robin Williams.

The film tells a powerful story of friendship, with themes of class issues, romance, intelligence and more. Read on for a look at some interesting facts you may not have known about Good Will Hunting.

Good Will Hunting facts

1. The film features a famous Yellowstone face

While you might not recognize him in his youth, a young Cole Hauser, who plays the role of Rip in the famed neo-Western series Yellowstone, brought to life one of Will Hunting's friends, Billy McBride.

"He was raw talent; just astonishing . . . and just the sweetest soul," said Matt Damon of Hauser on an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.

2. It earned major Academy Award recognition

The film ended up being nominated for a total of nine awards, which included Best Picture. In the end, it took home two: One for Robin Williams for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and one for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for Best Original Screenplay.

3. Actress Minnie Driver was nursing a broken heart on Oscar night

Minnie Driver played the part of Skylar, Matt Damon's character's love interest. While the sparks were flying on-screen, things were heating up between the two off screen as well, the young actors having dated around the time of the film.

At the 1998 Oscars, when Damon and Affleck were accepting their award for Best Original Screenplay, the camera panned to Driver, showing she had a frown on her face. In an Instagram comment, she revealed this was due to the fact that Damon had broke things off with her a few weeks prior and was at the ceremony with his new girlfriend.

4. The film earned its R-rating

At one point of production, Miramax wanted the film to be PG-13, meaning only three instances of the F-word could be used. By the time they made this proposition, they had surpassed that by 145.

5. A bench in the film maintains its sentimental value

The scene in the film in which Will and Sean meet on the bench took place at the Boston Public Garden. When Robin Williams passed, the filming location turned into something of a memorial for the famed actor.

MUST-READ: Robin Williams Movies and TV Shows: Reflecting on the Comedy Icon’s Remarkable Career

6. Another two famous actors almost took the lead — Good Will Hunting facts

Before Matt Damon and Ben Affleck connected with Miramax, the script had originally been bought by Castle Rock. Castle Rock, however, had wanted Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio to take the lead instead of Damon and Affleck. Luckily, things worked out for them in the end.

7. Many of the actors came up with stuff on the spot — Good Will Hunting facts

Robin Williams and Casey Affleck were just a few of the actors who improvised many of their lines.