On a memorable Monday night, the unimaginable happened as diehard Boston Red Sox fans, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, donned San Francisco Giants hats – all in honor of the late Robin Williams. This tribute was given at the Bring Change to Mind’s Revels & Revelations celebration in the Bay Area, where they were honored with the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award, recognizing their impact and the power of storytelling.
As they took the stage to accept their award, Damon and Affleck held their Giants hats aloft, paying homage to Williams, a longtime fan of the team. “Let’s get this over with,” Damon teased as they put on the caps. “This is the first time in 55 years, and it’s for Robin.”
The actors shared a screen with the late legend in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which also earned Williams an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Damon recalled how he and Affleck spent their 20s trying to get the movie made, and how once Williams read the script and decided to join the project, all their problems vanished. Affleck added that accepting this award was “our way of saying thank you to Robin, who had the most profound impact on our professional lives. Without him, many of our dreams may not have come true in the way they did.”
The evening was particularly poignant as it was also a movie about a young man struggling with mental health and seeking someone he could talk to and feel safe with. Affleck felt it was fitting that Williams’ legacy was being honored in this context, and that he would be “enormously proud and happy.”
Williams’ children, Zak, Zelda, and Cody, were present to present the award, joined by Close, Sarah Silverman, Chase Stokes, and Chris Martin. The event raised $2.5 million while celebrating 15 years of dedicated conversations about mental health.
