Show Notes

The total box office earnings for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck round out to a cool $10B. They’re A-list actors, Oscar-winners, writers, directors, production company founders. But back in the mid-90s, the best friends were rejected – for movies, for television shows, for commercials. Then one day Matt Damon took a playwriting course at Harvard. What happened next, is a rejection story all of its own. 

Major sources for this episode include:

Boston Magazine: Good Will Hunting: An Oral History

Off Camera with Sam Jones: Ep. 168. Matt Damon 2.

Vanity Fair: Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Reflect on Their Careers Together 

Casting Frontier: Matt Damon on What It Takes to Succeed as an Actor

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend: Matt Damon (FULL EPISODE)

Refinery 29: The Surprising True Story Behind Good Will Hunting

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Good Will Hunting Nearly Killed Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Writing Partnership 

Howard Stern Video Interviews: Ben Affleck & Matt Damon

ENews: Looking Back at the Totally Crazy Story Behind the Making of Good Will Hunting

Writer & Host: Sidney Hirst-O’Reilly

Executive Producer & Co-Host: Terry O’Reilly

Researcher & Series Producer: Allison Pinches

Director: Callie O’Reilly

Supervising Producer: Debbie O’Reilly

Engineer: Geoff Devine

Theme music: Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick & James Atin

Tunes: APM Music