Kevin Smith recalls refusing to direct friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting

In an exclusive interview with People Magazine published on June 7, Kevin Smith shared that he refused to direct the 1997 hit movie, Good Will Hunting, because he felt he would continuously ask Affleck and Damon, who wrote the screenplay and starred in it, about their opinion. Despite not directing the movie, Smith reportedly played a big part in getting the movie to the Big Screen.

Kevin Smith, 54, is an American film director. Other than being a director, Smith is also a producer, writer, actor, and podcaster. His filmography includes both movies and series. Some of the movies he had worked on include Clerks (1994), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), etc. According to his Wikipedia page, he has also directed some episodes in series such as The Flash (2016–2018), Supergirl (2017–2018), The Goldbergs (2017–2019), etc.

Kevin Smith, while in a conversation with People magazine about his film with Affleck and Damon, titled Dogma (1999), reflected on his friendship with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and their Oscar-winning movie, Good Will Hunting, on the Big Screen.

He shared that Affleck, Damon, and Miramax (the production company) asked him if he wanted to direct the movie,

"The first question that I was asked by Ben and Matt and the Miramax folks was, 'Do you wanna direct it?' I think they all asked that with clenched a------s hoping that I would say no."

Kevin Smith further shared,

"Naturally, I was like, 'Oh my God, no. If I were to direct this, I would just turn around to Ben and Matt the whole time and say, 'Is this what you saw when you wrote it?' " Kevin Smith via PEOPLE.

Though he initially recommended that Affleck and Damon direct it, that did not happen, and a search for a director began. Finally, Gus Van Sant became the director, with Affleck and Damon being in the cast. Good Will Hunting is widely considered Affleck and Damon's breakout movie.

Kevin Smith played a huge part in bringing Good Will Hunting to the Big Screen

Though Smith did not direct the movie, he, as per People Magazine, did help the movie get made. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon had already sold their script of Good Will Hunting to Castle Rock Entertainment, but the company reportedly intended to make the movie without either Affleck or Damon in the cast. That's where Kevin Smith comes in and helps the duo set up production at Miramax, Harvey Weinstein's production company, People Magazine reported.

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Affleck has previously worked together with Smith in the 1995 movie Mallrats, and Damon and Affleck have been friends since they were young. The trio has collaborated on many films, like Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), etc. Affleck and Damon won the Oscar Award for the best original screenplay for Good Will Hunting.

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