Inigo’s Battle Scar: How Mandy Patinkin Bruised a Rib on The Princess Bride Set
Brace yourself for the eyebrow-raising backstage drama: Mandy Patinkin didn’t just perfect his “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya” line—he walked off set with a bruised rib. In a recent chat with People magazine, the actor confessed that the infamous duel scene with Cary Elwes left him nursing more than professional pride. He recalled landing a bit too enthusiastically into a plaster column, resulting in a rib so bruised it throbbed through costume fittings and multiple takes.
Patinkin, never one to shirk physical comedy, insisted on doing his own stunts—much to the chagrin of the film’s stunt coordinator. Entertainment Weekly noted he was adamant about authenticity, which meant trading padded rehearsals for genuine sword clinks and real-world collisions. “It hurt like the soul-crushing realization that there’s no such thing as chunkier peanut butter,” Patinkin joked, according to the April interview. His dry retort sent the crew into peals of laughter, even as he grimaced his way through the day’s shoots.
Production archives and set photos obtained by The New York Post confirm the column incident occurred on March 12, 1986. Footage shows Patinkin cradling his side between takes—yet refusing to let a little pain compromise his grand entrance. Sources say the rib bruise lingered for weeks, prompting makeup artists to ingeniously paint around the swelling. The only recorded on-set break was for a quick ice pack run, though Patinkin later admitted he almost skipped it out of stubborn pride.
A lesser-known anecdote, shared in a recent Entertainment Weekly oral history, suggests Patinkin once knocked his ribs hopping off a horse during the “Fire Swamp” sequence. He quipped that between the flame spurts and rock monsters, a bruised rib was “the least of his worries—until the next morning.” Combined with reports from People, the picture that emerges is equal parts heroic dedication and accidental self-sabotage.
In classic deadpan fashion, Patinkin drolly summarized the ordeal: “My greatest fear was someone asking for a stunt double and discovering I’m allergic to cushions.” It’s a perfect reminder that behind every timeless quote—“You killed my father, prepare to die”—there might be an actor secretly wondering if he’ll ever sit comfortably again.
There you have it: cult-classic magic forged in equal measures of chivalry and bodily harm. Tune in next time for more behind-the-scenes bruises, unexpected heroics, and all the questionable life choices that go into making a fairy-tale legend.
People magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Post
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
