‘Was That Necessary?’ Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Roasted Themselves Over Their ‘Jack–s’ Good Will Hunting Oscars Speech

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This weekend, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up on screen again in a new movie called The Rip, available to Netflix subscribers. The two have a long history of working together, most famously on Good Will Hunting, which earned them and Robin Williams Academy Awards.

Damon and Affleck’s Oscar acceptance speech in 1997 is considered one of the best ever. The two young actors were genuinely surprised and overwhelmed, and admitted they didn’t know what to say. Affleck later joked on The Howard Stern Show (as reported by EW) that he might have gotten a little carried away at the ceremony, saying…

Oh, god,. I just feel so… like, I thanked Boston as a city three times. Was that necessary?

Okay, let’s be real – Ben Affleck and Matt Damon‘s acceptance speech was a little all over the place, but honestly, that’s what made it so charming! Affleck only gave a shout-out to Boston once, but it happened right after Damon did, so the city got a double mention. It wasn’t polished, but it was genuinely sweet. You can watch their win down below, and I think you’ll feel the same way.

The two stars seemed completely stunned, like deer caught in headlights. Their faces showed pure astonishment. When they began to thank people, it was a rambling, disorganized list – just names popping into their heads. They mentioned everyone involved with Good Will Hunting, even a friend, Cole Hauser. The only awkward moment was when they started with a name that’s now become problematic.

You know, Damon told me the whole speech situation was completely spontaneous. Apparently, Matt and he hadn’t even discussed writing one beforehand! They figured if they’d planned something out and then didn’t win, it would just feel awkward, like they were getting ahead of themselves. He went on to explain…

The truth is, we were so unprepared because we never actually discussed what we’d say if we won. We both secretly knew that if we had planned a speech and then lost, we’d be complaining about it in a Boston bar for the next fifty years. So when we went onstage, I remember practically shoving Ben towards the microphone and refusing to speak myself.

It’s no surprise they didn’t think they’d win. The whole way Good Will Hunting came together was a series of lucky breaks. Considering that, it would have been pretty bold of them to expect an Oscar!

As you can see in the video, Damon subtly pushes Affleck forward to take the lead during the interview, effectively letting him do most of the talking. This unintentionally makes Damon appear less prepared. Affleck admits he now regrets not having discussed things beforehand.

I honestly didn’t know what to say. Looking back, it probably would have been a good idea to prepare a little bit, considering I was speaking to the world.

I actually prefer the spontaneous Oscar speeches. You can really feel the genuine surprise and emotion when someone isn’t prepared. It’s a special moment, although Robin Williams’ Oscar win for the same movie is also incredibly memorable – he won Best Supporting Actor for playing Dr. Sean Maguire.

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2026-01-18 16:38