The Princess Bride star Mandy Patinkin took to social media late last night to share an emotional connection to a grieving fan. After having been repeatedly tagged by fans on social media, Patinkin’s attention was called to a Tiktok from fan Amanda Webb, who was grappling with the loss of her parents. Webb asked Patinkin if it was true that his iconic performance as Iñigo Montoya was inspired by the death of his own father, who passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer in 1972. Patinkin confirmed the piece of trivia, but went much farther, tearing up as he recalled specific details and offering Webb support.
Speaking candidly with his wife Kathryn Grody by his side, Patinkin recalled the scene where Montoya vanquished the Count. He said that long after his father had passed away, he would still talk to him.
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“I went outside of this castle and walked around the [maze] And I kept talking to my dad and I said, ‘Dad, I’m going to get this guy.’ From the minute I read the script, I knew, I said to Kath, ‘I’m going to do this part,’” Patinkin says in a Tiktok video. “Because in my mind, if I get this six-fingered guy, that means I killed the cancer that killed my dad and I’ll get to visit my dad.”
That’s just what he did after shooting the scene, he said in the video, adding for Amanda, “And so you can talk to your dad anytime you want, anywhere you want.”
You can see the video below.
To Alaska (aka Amanda – we figured it out!) Thread – Thank you for sharing this with us. My dad died of cancer when I was 18. Kathryn’s parents died within a year of each other when she was 25, her dad of a heart attack while her mom was sick with cancer…. pic.twitter.com/xbjC7pVI3p
— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) August 25, 2021
Patinkin followed up with a series of tweets which read, “The loss of them has been a huge part of our lives and a huge part of what forged our bond together. We are so sorry for your loss, so moved that this movie meant something to you and your dad and so glad you asked this question…We hope you find all kinds of ways to keep the memory of him alive and all kinds of ways to move forward & through this pain and loss. Please let us know his name. As Kathryn Mentioned https://thedinnerparty.org can be a great resource for 20 & 30-somethings who’ve experienced loss. We both wish we had a way to connect to others when we lost our parents. If you or anyone else going through a similar thing might find it helpful or useful folks can learn more at the link in our bio. If that avenue is not for you we just wish those struggling to reach out ike you did, and find the comforts and the tools that might work and help. It can be such a lonely kind of pain, but know there are so many others out there going through it. One of my favorite quotes is from the book written by Oscar Hammerstein from the Musical Carousel; it’s ‘As long as there’s one person on earth who remembers you, it isn’t over.’ That’s part of why I like saying peoples names in my prayers and why I’ll add your dad’s name.”
Amanda followed up with her own response on Tiktok, saying, “I am so overwhelmed right now….If he knew right now what was happening he would go, ‘Oh shit, girlie, that’s pretty cool.’”
