Robin Wright says she hasn’t watched ‘The Princess Bride’ since it premiered. Here’s why
Robin Wright loves the movie "The Princess Bride," but says she hasn't seen the film she starred in since it was first released in theaters more than 35 years ago.
During a Feb. 25 appearance on TODAY to talk about her latest project, "Damsel," a new Netflix film co-starring Millie Bobby Brown and Angela Bassett, Wright revealed to Savannah Guthrie that after its initial release in 1987, she has yet to rewatch the movie that made her a household name.
Why?
“You’re always going to pick apart your performance and go, “Gosh, I wish I had done it differently on that take,” Wright explains during the TODAY segment.
Playing Princess Buttercup opposite Cary Elwes as Westley in the iconic fantasy film, the memorable role cemented Wright as a star, resulting in a film and TV career that's spanned more than 40 years, including notable roles in "House of Cards," "Unbreakable" and "Forrest Gump," among others.
Wright fondly recalls working with director Rob Reiner on the set of "The Princess Bride" along with the rest of the cast including Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin and Christopher Guest, telling IMDB that filming the beloved '80s move was "one of the greatest experiences of my career, without a doubt."
But even so, Wright says she prefers the here and now.
"I'd rather watch that new Netflix show called 'My Son,' because I love James McAvoy and Claire Foy," Wright tells TODAY.com in a sit-down interview.
That said, however, she'd totally rewatch "The Princess Bride" again given the right circumstances.
"I love that movie, but I just haven't watched it since it premiered," Wright explains. "You know when I'll watch it? If I ever get to have grandkids one day, they can watch Grandma in 'The Princess Bride.'"
And it’s not just “The Princess Bride,” that Wright hasn’t rewatched since its first run in theaters, she also has rewatched the majority of her work, including “Forrest Gump."
Playing opposite Tom Hanks in the Oscar-winning 1994 film, Wright portrayed Gump's best friend and eventual wife, Jenny Curran, a misguided Southern woman whose life is chronicled over the course of 30 years.
Like many of her other characters (including Princess Buttercup), Wright had to learn an accent for her role in "Forrest Gump," a challenge the actor says she embraces.
"I love it, I love it," says Wright. "I don't nail them all the time, but I love the challenge."
Regarding her "Forrest Gump" costar, Tom Hanks, Wright says she didn't get to know him well during the filming of the movie since during their lunch breaks, a time actors normally get to hang out, Hanks was busy filming his legendary running scenes.
"They were utilizing all the time they had because our schedule was so cramped to be able to make the movie in the amount of days they gave us," she explains.
Even so, Wright says, "I just love working with him. We have so much fun, he's so funny."
Thirty years after the film first premiered, Wright, Hanks and “Forrest Gump” director Robert Zemeckis, as well as other “Gump” alumni, are once again teaming up. This time it's for the film "Here," a new drama that Wright says she can't reveal details on, but that has nothing to do with "Forrest Gump" and is "very original."
According to Wright, reuniting with her former filmmates felt as though no time had passed since they last worked together.
"For all of us to get back in the room," she says, "it was just like bringing the family back into the living room."
As for her current role as in "Damsel," a scheming character with a sinister plan for her new daughter-in-law, Queen Isabelle, it's a far cry from Wright's turn as a sweet monarch in "The Princess Bride."
Which is better?
"It's so much more fun to play evil," Wright tells Savannah on TODAY. "It's much more layered."
This article was originally published on TODAY.com