Mandy Patinkin bonds with grieving fan, confirms touching story behind iconic ‘Princess Bride’ scene

She continued saying she heard “a rumour” that the line Iñigo Montoya (Patinkin) said during his film’s climax while fighting with Count Rugen (Christopher Guest), “I want my father back, you son of a b****”, was delivered while Patinkin was thinking of his own father.

Patinkin responded to the video Tuesday, confirming that it is, after thousands of people tagged him on the video, and eventually one of his children showed him. He then reached out to the woman along with his wife, Kathryn Grody.

Watch the emotional interaction here:

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

“First of all, your dad is taking care of you. Secondly, it is true, 100 percent true,” he said. “I went outside in this castle and walked around… and I kept talking to my dad, and I said ‘Dad, I’m going to get this guy.” The actor also revealed that his father’s passing was the reason why he took the role in the first place.

The interaction made even Patinkin emotional. He too teared up, however, comforted the woman and reassured her. “I went and I played that scene with Chris, and then I went back out there and I talked to my dad. So you can talk to your dad any time you want, anywhere you want.”

“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….” he wrote in a following tweet.

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://t.co/YFNLJamF82 can be a great resource for 20 & 30 somethings who’ve experienced loss

— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) August 25, 2021

Patinkin also added that she finds a way to keep the memory of her father alive and referred her to a group as his wife suggest to move forward through the pain. He referred The Dinner Party, an online resource described as “a platform for grieving 20- and 30-somethings to find peer community and build lasting relationships.”

He hoped that like Webb, others dealing with loss too can find “the comforts and the tools that might work and help”.

like 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.

— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) August 25, 2021

He continued to comfort the woman and quoted a line from the book written by Oscar Hammerstein for the musical, Carousel, which goes: “As long as there’s one person on Earth who remembers you, it isn’t over.” He also asked the woman to share her father’s name with him and he will add him in his prayers, while thanking her for sharing the emotional experience with him.

Thank you for sharing this with us Amanda. Big big love to you and your family and your dad.

— Mandy Patinkin (@PatinkinMandy) August 25, 2021

The poignant moment not only moved Patinkin and Webb but the Twitter thread got others to come forward and share stories about their loss.

This message to Amanda is a song that sang to my own heart. I lost my own father to covid this year. He was my best friend. He even looked a bit like Mandy! Thank you for sharing your own tragic stories of loss and making me feel like my grief isnt mine alone to bear. ❤😭

— Lady Fear (@LadyFear1) August 25, 2021

@PatinkinMandy I lost my father to prostate cancer recently and saw PB, one of our fave movies, and wondered this as well. The feeling behind what you say. You can tell. Thank you for sharing this. Got this tattoo to honor my dad and your very film. Love. pic.twitter.com/GHir9x5I06

— cornycobb (@CornyBCobb) August 25, 2021

My dad passed away in March 2016 from cancer and we also shared the language of movies. It’s been a strange privilege to act as a sort of “ambassador” to my young friends who have lost a parent. The Dinner Party sounds amazing, thanks so much for sharing. pic.twitter.com/QqJUSolg5V

— sarah slothanova, esq (@slothanova) August 25, 2021

My cat just had a stroke an hour ago and I’m caring for her at the end of her life. She has been my best friend for 17 years. I know it isn’t the same, but your kindness has so touched me. She is sleeping right now as I hold her. Ty. I’ve loved everything you’ve ever done but

— Jennifer 🟥🔴🧙‍♀️🦉🐈‍⬛ (@babybeginner) August 25, 2021

Got my BS at 58, prayed every night for God to keep my parents healthy so they could come to my graduation, but they both died my sr. year. My niece Anna just did their memorial tattoo. This is how they signed our school papers. Their exact signature. Still weeped at her tik tok! pic.twitter.com/EYhEoQmKA1

— Nona Yerbiznatch/p🌊😷🇺🇸🥗🏳️‍🌈💃✝️🧘‍♀️👻💙🖤⚛ (@mariateresag) August 25, 2021

I just watched your kind and heartfelt response and burst out crying. Such moments of kindness should not be so rare that they prompt tears when we see them! And yet today, what gets lifted up most often is cruel or crass or divisive. Thank you for countervailing that trend.

— Antay Bilgutay (@midmodman) August 25, 2021

My mother died of cancer 43 years ago, when I was 9. Today would have been her 85th birthday. Thank you all for sharing on this day of all days from another lover of the blade.

— Captain Buzzkill 🚢🐝💀 (@rfrancis) August 25, 2021

Thank you for sharing! I’m going to have my kids look up the dinner party. My husband, their dad, died at 41 of cancer when they were 6 & 10. I’m sure it will help them to know they aren’t alone ❤️ very touching

— Pucks_mom (@PucksM) August 25, 2021

I’ve been an orphan for almost 30 years, but after watching this video, I’m crying as if my parents died yesterday. Damn, you two are good people.

— Caslyn Saint Denis (@CaslynSD) August 25, 2021

I watched The Princess Bride with my dad when I was little. 7 years ago he got into an accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury, we drifted apart after that. We talk about the movie and it’s like nothing ever happened. Thank you for helping me bond with my dad again.

— Brie Dexter🖤🤍 (@briana__lynn__) August 25, 2021