It's hard to remember a time when Ben Affleck and Matt Damon weren't two of the biggest names in Hollywood, but such a period did exist. Back in 1997, the two stars were both in their twenties, with likely little idea of what success lied ahead for them. That was the year their movie Good Will Hunting debuted, a film in which they both starred and co-wrote. The movie became a surprise success both critically and commercially, grossing $225 million at the box office and winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for its two scribes. After that, there was no stopping the pair, and they continue to be two of the most popular movie stars today.
So it's definitely surreal to look back and see the two famous friends at the dawn of their careers in these rare photos from the Good Will Hunting premieres in New York and Los Angeles. They're so fresh-faced and full of hope for the future, it's kind of crazy to see how well everything turned out for them almost two decades later. Of course, the two actors weren't the only celebs to attend the premieres. There's a veritable who's who of '90s stars (and regrettable '90s fashion) on display in the pictures below, so take a peek back in time at these rare photographs from the 1997 Good Will Hunting premieres in New York and Los Angeles.
Matt Damon
Just look at that smile. This is literally the face of someone seeing their wildest dreams come true while wearing a leather sports jacket. Damon was just 27 here.
Matt Damon & Minnie Driver
Here's Damon and his sweet jacket again, hugging his co-star and on-screen girlfriend Minnie Driver. Driver was also 27 at the time, and was dipping into that early 2000s light purple eyeshadow a few years early. Trendsetter.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Paltrow was a high-profile dater back in the day, moving on from Brad Pitt to Affleck in '97. Here she is at 25, not long after beginning her relationship with the future Batman.
Matt Damon & Minnie Driver
Here's another one of the two co-stars, but this time Damon has traded in his leather blazer for a gigantic suit. In what year did he get himself a stylist/tailor I wonder? I have nothing snarky to say about Driver's dress though; she could wear that to the Oscars next month and get on a best dressed list.
Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, & Ben Affleck
Damon and Driver are joined by a 25-year-old Affleck here, who I assume shaved for the first time ever that night.
Claire Danes
It wouldn't be a '90s event without an appearance by Danes. The 18-year-old was just one year removed from her Romeo + Juliet role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio here, and is wearing perhaps the most '90s outfit of all time, from her black nylons to that Generation X look on her face.
Samantha Mathis
Mathis flirted with movie stardom in the '90s, appearing in films like Little Women and The American President, but her career never really took off the way some thought it might. Still, she's never truly disappeared, and can currently be seen on FX's The Strain.
Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey literally looks like he's saying, "All right, all right, all right," here. The 28-year-old was relatively new on the scene in '97, with his breakout role in Dazed & Confused coming just four years earlier. He also seems to have borrowed Damon's stylist and tailor for the premiere.
Jennifer Aniston
Oh, hey '90s. The Friends star was at the height of her fame here as the show was in the midst of its fourth season, and its 28-year-old breakout star had just recently ditched "The Rachel" haircut that every other woman in America was sporting (see: Claire Danes, Samantha Mathis).
Brooke Langton & David Chokachi
They may not be huge stars, but they sure are attractive — in spite of their downright awful wardrobes. Langton, who was 27 here, had a role on Melrose Place from 1996-1998, while Chokachi, 29, starred on Baywatch from 1995-1999.
Mariah Carey
Already a megastar diva, and still slaying, obviously, Carey was 27 here and had just released her single "Butterfly".
Liv Tyler, Joaquin Phoenix, & Matt Damon
20-year-old Tyler had already been in several movies by '97, but it wouldn't be until the following year when she would become a household name starring alongside Affleck in Armageddon. Phoenix, 23, was in the very early stages of his career, with the tragic death of his brother River having come just four years earlier.
Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, & Ben Affleck
The three young stars of Good Will Hunting. Everyone together now: Awwwww.
Matt Damon & Ben Affleck
BFFs. Some things never change.
It's interesting to look back at these stars at this early point in their respective careers (and also somewhat disheartening since I'm older now than every single one of them was in these photos). Some have maintained their place in the spotlight, others have faded away, and some have become bigger than anyone could have predicted. You just never know what the future holds, but the past is always there to look back on.
