Love, Loss & Rebuilding

THE BELOVED STAR OF ROB REINER’S THE PRINCESS BRIDE THREW HIMSELF INTO WORK AFTER HIS HOUSE BURNED DOWN. HE REFLECTS ON A CHALLENGING YEAR

- ERIC ANDERSSON

Cary Elwes hoped to hear “As you wish”—or something similar to his famous line from The Princess Bride. When the English actor learned his older brother Cassian, an agent turned producer, was making a new movie, Dead Man’s Wire, with Oscar-nominated Good Will Hunting director Gus Van Sant, “I said, ‘Cass, you got to let me meet with Gus,’ ” recalls Elwes.

A Fan Favorite "It's always nice when someone comes up and shares with me what it means to them," says Elwes (with Robin Wright) of The Princess Bride.

The brothers are close (“We always tease each other”), but Cassian’s response was quick: “No.” Cassian, who used to represent Van Sant, didn’t want to put his former client in an awkward spot. Elwes pushed: “I said, ‘He’s not going to quit the movie because you asked if your brother could meet with him. If he says no, I’ll accept that, and we’ll move on.’ ” About a week later Elwes heard from Cassian: “ ‘I spoke to Gus, and turns out he’s a big fan of your work.’ ”

1. "It's provided me with the career I have today," Elwes (with Mandy Patinkin) says of 1987's The Princess Bride.

2. Elwes calls Tom Cruise (right, with Robert Duvall), his costar in 1990's Days of Thunder, "extraordinary." They reunited on 2023's Mission: ImpossibleDead Reckoning Part One.

3. In 2004's Saw.