At the 2026 Golden Globe Awards on January 11, Minnie Driver told E! Live from the Red Carpet that her 1997 film Good Will Hunting remains one of her all-time favorite projects and praised Matt Damon as one of her favorite costars.
At a Glance
- Minnie Driver named Matt Damon and Ben Affleck among her favorite collaborators while at the Golden Globes.
- The pair dated briefly after filming the Oscar-winning 1997 drama.
- Damon ended the relationship in 1998 by stating on The Oprah Winfrey Show that he had no girlfriend.
- Why it matters: The candid remarks revisit a Hollywood breakup that played out in the spotlight and highlight Driver’s enduring affection for the film that shaped her career.
Red Carpet Reflections
Speaking to E! on the red carpet, Driver, 55, recalled the early energy of Damon and Affleck. “I’ve got to say Matt and Ben were pretty fun when they were just getting going, raring to go, just kids,” she said.
She added, “I’ve been very lucky, very fortunate,” while also praising Grosse Pointe Blank costar John Cusack as “incredibly intellectually challenging and stimulating and fun.”
Awards History
Good Will Hunting, written by Damon and Affleck and directed by Gus Van Sant, collected Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Robin Williams. Driver earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as Skylar.
During the 1998 Oscar ceremony, Driver and Damon had “recently broken up,” she later told The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2024. “He had a new girlfriend. I was totally heartbroken.”
Looking Back
When asked what advice she would give her 25-year-old self, Driver replied, “I wish I could have told her, ‘Honey it’s cool, you can celebrate and life’s gonna be great and beautiful and hard and amazing… You’re going to love again, it’ll be fine.'”
Life Now
Driver recently guest-starred in season 5 of Netflix’s Emily in Paris. She is mother to son Henry, born in 2008, and has kept the father’s identity private. Since 2019 she has been linked to filmmaker Addison O’Dea.
The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Nikki Glaser, took place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles and aired on CBS and Paramount+.
Ethan R. Coleman reported for News Of Losangeles.
