Celebs

Matt Damon wants a statue of Robin Williams in Boston Public Garden

Matt Damon says he's hopeful a permanent memorial to Robin Williams will be erected in Boston Public Garden to honor his "Good Will Hunting" co-star.

Robin Williams and Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting."
Robin Williams and Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting." George Kraychyk/Miramax

By Kevin Slane

Almost ten years after the death of Robin Williams, his “Good Will Hunting” co-star Matt Damon is reviving the idea of placing a statue of the actor in Boston Public Garden as a permanent memorial.

In an interview with journalist Jake Hamilton, Damon and his co-star in “The Instigators,” Casey Affleck, discussed memories of filming “Good Will Hunting,” including shooting the iconic park bench scene in Boston Public Garden.

The scene, in which Williams character psychologist Sean Maguire essentially tells Will (Damon) that despite all of his book smarts he hasn’t truly lived, helped Williams win Best Supporting Actor at the 1998 Oscars.

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In Damon’s eyes, putting a statue of Williams in the Public Garden would be a fitting tribute to the actor, and a powerful message for those struggling with their mental health.

“[An artist] proposed to us to do a bronze statue of Robin and permanently put it there,” Damon said. “The idea being that if you feel alone you can go sit next to him, which I think is the coolest idea. It would be the most beautiful installation and such a tribute to that guy, who I think would have loved that.”

Past Robin Williams statue proposals

This isn’t the first time a proposal for a Williams statue in the Public Garden has come up.

Following Williams’ death on August 11, 2014, the park bench in the Garden where he and Damon filmed their scene became an impromptu memorial.

Shortly after, MIT administrator Garry McLinn proposed the idea of a Williams statue on Reddit, which then spurred a petition that garnered more than 16,000 signatures.

Following renewed discussion of the statue proposal on Reddit over the weekend, McLinn chimed in to say that back in 2014 when he reached out to Friends of the Public Garden — the non-profit that helps administrate the Common and Public Garden with the city’s Department of Park and Recreation — he received “a very polite” rejection.

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A spokesperson for Friends of the Public Garden told Axios that there is a current moratorium on new statues in the Common or Public Garden, which is the same statement they gave to Boston magazine back in 2014 when the idea was first proposed.

Friends of the Public Garden had not returned a request for comment at the time of this article’s publication.

Regardless of potential red tape, Damon said he hoped the Williams statue will become a reality, saying he got “chills” when he heard the proposal.

“I hope it comes to pass,” Damon said. “I hope they let this artist do it because it would be pretty cool.”

Matt Damon and Robin Williams in "Good Will Hunting."
Matt Damon and Robin Williams in “Good Will Hunting.” – Miramax
Visitors take photographs of the bench featured in the film "Good Will Hunting" on August 12, 2014, following news of the death of actor Robin Williams.
Visitors take photographs of the bench featured in the film “Good Will Hunting” on August 12, 2014, following news of the death of actor Robin Williams. – CJ Gunther/EPA