One of the greatest war movies ever made in the history of the cinema would have been robbed of one heck of a performance if it wasn’t for Robin Williams. No, although Williams wasn’t present in the movie, he had a great role in helping Matt Damon land the role of Private Ryan. Despite making an impression on the legendary director Steven Spielberg the actor failed to secure the role in the 1998 big-budget Tom Hanks movie, Saving Private Ryan initially. Although the 1996 film Courage Under Fire, impressed the Jaws director and painted a clear picture in his head of what he was searching for in the person who would play the role, he rejected Damon for his skinny stature.

In an interview with GQ posted on the magazine’s YouTube channel, in 2020, the Jason Bourne actor was seen breaking down some of the major moments of his career. And that is where he shared the story of how he ended up starring in a Spielberg movie next to Tom Hanks.

Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan

Steven Spielberg Initially Rejected Matt Damon Because He Was Too Skinny for Saving Private Ryan

Cinephiles would have missed out on a phenomenal performance if Steven Spielberg did not end up casting Matt Damon. The actor portraying a heroine addict in the 1996 movie Courage Under Fire is what caught the director’s eye initially. Even though Spielberg was impressed, Damon losing over 40 pounds for the role is what set the director off and made him go in a different direction. In the GQ interview, the Oppenheimer actor explained,

“I had put myself on tape and I had read for [Saving] Private Ryan and I hadn’t been cast. [Spielberg] met me in person and said ‘I think I know you from somewhere,’ and I said ‘Well I did this movie called Courage Under Fire,’ and he goes ‘That’s the one, you know it’s funny, I said to my wife that’s the exact type of person I want to play Private Ryan, but he’s too thin.’ Because I’d lost 40 pounds, I was playing a heroin addict in Courage Under Fire. And so it was only because Robin introduced me to him that he went ‘Oh OK, no you’re the kind of guy I’m looking for for that job.’”

Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire

But Robin Williams properly introducing the two later on finally set the wheels in motion. Damon therefore clinched the role by shedding his Courage Under Fire figure, and the rest is history.

How Robin Williams Helped Matt Damon Get the Role

Matt Damon claimed Robin Williams is partly responsible for the success he is experiencing today. Although it was a grueling process, the actor is grateful he got the opportunity to star in Saving Private Ryan at such an early stage of his career. While working on Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams decided that the two very talented best friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon should meet his long-time friend Spielberg, and thus set up a meeting. The Martian actor in that same GQ interview stated,

“Robin took Ben and me to meet Steven [Spielberg] because he knew it was never a bad thing to meet the greatest filmmaker of all time and how much we’d appreciate that.”

Robin Williams and Steven Spielberg

Het then further added,

“So Robin not only got our dream in Good Will Hunting made he actually got me the role in Saving Private Ryan as well.”

Williams thus has been an integral part of the actor’s career from the very beginning and the actor indeed owes a lot of him. Thus although Damon has had one illustrious career, Saving Private Ryan, will always be special to him.