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Mandy Patinkin Gets Emotional as He Recalls Filming The Princess Bride Fight Scenes (and So Do We)

Mandy Patinkin in the Princess Bride

We all get emotional about the movies that we love. And Mandy Patinkin is just like us, only he happened to be in one of those movies. The Princess Bride might just be one of the most beloved movies in the world, and it’s pretty clear that all these years later the cast loves it just as much as we do. Now they’re using that love for a good cause, coming together for an upcoming live-streamed script read to benefit the Wisconsin Democrats.

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To promote this incredible event, Mandy Patinkin upped his already dazzling Twitter game to talk with his son about some of his memories of filming the classic movie, especially his “Sword Memories” from the duel with Cary Elwes, aka the greatest sword fight ever put to film.

Did I get emotional seeing that Mandy holding Inigo’s iconic six-fingered sword? Absolutely. Did I cry a little bit more to hear that he had both swords and gave them to his sons? Hell yes.

I love hearing that after six months of training and filming, Elwes and Patinkin were so good at sword fighting that they could choreograph an entirely new section of the fight on the fly. Just amazing. I also had never known that the fight was the final thing that either actor shot on the film, though that makes sense for how complex the scene was.

But hearing Patinkin talk about how sad he was to hear Rob Reiner say that final “Cut. Print?” That ended me.

It’s so wonderful to see how much everyone who made The Princess Bride loved it and knew it was so special when they were making it. And it’s also wonderful that the cast is coming together to “Stop Trumperdink,” no matter what Ted Cruz has to say about it. I know I’ll be tuning in for the live-stream, and if my tears just hearing Patinkin talk about the filming are any indication, I better bring some tissues.

(image: 20th Century Fox)

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Author
Jessica Mason
Jessica Mason (she/her) is a writer based in Portland, Oregon with a focus on fandom, queer representation, and amazing women in film and television. She's a trained lawyer and opera singer as well as a mom and author.

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