Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else as Buttercup. You see that long blonde hair and that specific mix of stubbornness and sorrow, and it just clicks. But back in 1986, Robin Wright was basically a "raw" teenager from the world of soap operas. She was starring in Santa Barbara, churning out hundreds of episodes with almost zero rehearsal time.
Then came Rob Reiner. He had already looked at what felt like a "zillion" girls for the part. He needed someone who looked like a Grace Kelly archetype but could handle the weird, satirical rhythm of William Goldman’s script.
Wright almost didn’t get it.
The casting directors actually remembered her from a failed audition for The Sure Thing a few years prior. They thought she wasn't quite "brilliant" yet. But she had a secret weapon: her stepfather was British. When they asked if she could do the accent, she nailed it. That was the clincher.
The Reality of Being Robin Wright in The Princess Bride
Filming wasn’t all fairy tales and rolling down hills. While the movie feels like a breezy 90-minute romp, the production was a series of bizarre accidents and "giggle-fests."
Take the Fire Swamp. That was actually the very first thing they filmed. Imagine being 20 years old, thrust onto a massive soundstage at Shepperton Studios, and told to dodge literal bursts of flame. During the scene where Buttercup’s dress catches fire, the writer, William Goldman, actually ruined a take. He had stepped away during the safety meeting and came back just as Wright’s skirt ignited. He started screaming, "She's on fire! Her dress is on fire!" thinking it was a real accident.
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Rob Reiner had to calmly explain, "Bill, it’s supposed to catch on fire."
A Giant’s Warmth
The relationship between the cast was surprisingly tight-knit. They didn't just retreat to their trailers. They basically took over a local hotel in Derbyshire and had potluck dinners.
One of the sweetest—and weirdest—details involves André the Giant.
He was massive, obviously. And because the English weather was frequently freezing, Wright would often be shivering in her thin medieval gowns. André would literally "palm" her head with his massive hand. His hands were so large they acted like a biological heating pad, keeping her warm between takes.
It wasn't all cozy, though. There were farts. Legendary ones. Cary Elwes has talked about André letting out a 16-second "incantation" that brought the entire production to a dead stop. You can't make this stuff up.
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Why Buttercup Was a Harder Role Than It Looks
People often dismiss Buttercup as a "damsel in distress." It's a common critique. She gets kidnapped, she waits to be rescued, and she mostly just pines for Westley.
But if you look closer, Wright was doing a lot of heavy lifting.
She had to play the "most beautiful woman in the world" without being insufferable. She had to sell the heartbreak of a woman who believes her true love was murdered by pirates, then find the fire to shove a masked man off a cliff when he insults that love.
Cary Elwes later wrote in his memoir, As You Wish, that it was a thankless role in some ways. She had to look effortless while everyone else got the flashy sword fights and "Inigo Montoya" speeches.
- The Physicality: She did her own stunts in the Fire Swamp and the hill roll.
- The Chemistry: That final kiss? They shot it six times. Not because they messed up, but because Wright and Elwes kept asking for "one more take" just to keep the moment going.
- The Tone: She had to play it straight. If she had winked at the camera, the movie would have crumbled into a parody. She kept it grounded.
The Inconceivable Legacy
The movie wasn't a hit. Not at first. It did okay, but it wasn't a blockbuster. It wasn't until the home video era—those chunky VHS tapes—that The Princess Bride became a cult religion.
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For Robin Wright, it was a double-edged sword. She was 21 and famous for being a "damsel." She spent the next decade trying to run away from that. She turned down huge blockbusters like Jurassic Park and Batman Forever because she wanted "gritty." She wanted to be seen as a serious actor, not just a face on a poster.
She eventually found that in Forrest Gump and much later as the terrifyingly cold Claire Underwood in House of Cards.
But even now, decades later, people still walk up to her and say, "As you wish."
She’s recently been vocal about the rumors of a sequel or a remake. Her stance? Basically, "Don't touch it." She’s joked that by the time they got around to a sequel, the whole cast would be in wheelchairs. There’s a certain magic to the 1987 original that just can't be bottled again, mostly because that specific chemistry between a young, "raw" Robin Wright and a swashbuckling Cary Elwes was a once-in-a-lifetime fluke.
What to do with this nostalgia
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Florin, don't just re-watch the movie for the 50th time.
- Read Cary Elwes' Memoir: Get As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. It’s filled with first-hand accounts of the "giggle-fests" Wright mentioned.
- Visit the Locations: If you’re ever in the UK, head to Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. It’s the real-life Prince Humperdinck’s castle. You can walk the same halls where Wright filmed the wedding scene.
- Check out the Burren: The "Cliffs of Insanity" are actually the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, but the scenes where they run through the rocky terrain were filmed in the Burren. It looks exactly like the movie.
Robin Wright may have moved on to directing and playing world leaders, but for a generation of fans, she’ll always be the girl on the farm, ordering a boy to polish her saddle. And honestly? She’s okay with that now. It’s like a "fine wine" that just keeps getting better with age.