You can’t live in regret, but you can certainly look back and wonder how things might’ve been different, had certain choices been made. While Ben Stiller has undoubtedly had a very successful career, an Oscar is still missing on his mantle. And a project that could’ve got him there is one he turned down: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck‘s breakout "Good Will Hunting."
"I remember my agent sent me the script for ‘Good Will Hunting’ to direct, and I was like, ‘Who are these guys, Affleck and Damon? And why are they attached to this project? No, thank you!’ I mean, maybe I’d change that," Stiller reflected to Vulture. At the time, Stiller was coming off "Reality Bites" and would next go on to direct "The Cable Guy," seen as a misfire at the time, but considered a cult classic now. Of course, Gus Van Sant took on ‘Hunting,’ and we all know what happened there.
Stiller doesn’t beat himself up over passing on the movie and says his decisions have "gotten me to where I am today and I’ve learned from them." That’s a pretty wise and healthy way to chalk things up. But it is still interesting to wonder how Stiller would’ve handled the material. Share your thoughts below…
