'Princess Bride' Star Hates Ted Cruz, the Movie's Biggest Fan
Once upon a time, a young man was known as the biggest fan of The Princess Bride all through the land. The man could recite every line in The Princess Bride, he could mimic the characters, and he could do all of this in public settings, to the cheers of his adoring devotees.
Over and over, the man finding ways to work the classic film into speeches at fundraisers and gatherings. He even tweeted about it to his peons, spreading his message wide across his kingdom. That man was none other than Ted Cruz, lord and Senator of Texas.
Here’s a video of little lord Cruz acting out a scene from the 1987 comedy, complete with accents:
Over time, this bit became one of Cruz’s go-to shticks, despite what we can only imagine are the pleading warnings from his communications rep:
However, one of the film’s stars is not a fan of Cruz being a fan. In an interview with The New York Times, Mandy Patinkin, the actor who played the swashbuckling fighter Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, had quite a lot to say about Cruz’s takeaway from the film. Specifically, Patinkin said, Cruz is misinterpreting the film’s meaning—that love is more powerful than revenge—for his own political gain. Patinkin told the Times:
“I would like to be with Senator Cruz for a moment and I would like to respectfully ask him, since he quotes all the lines from ‘The Princess Bride’ and certainly all of my character, Inigo Montoya’s, lines, I would like to know why he doesn’t quote my favorite line?”
That line, says Patinkin, comes at the very end of the film, when Inigo Montoya realizes that, after a life of seeking revenge for the murder of his father, that love, not violence, is the answer. Cruz’s policies that support barring refugees from entering the country and using fear-mongering tactics to appeal to voters, Patinkin said, are against what the film stands for.
“This man is not putting forth ideas that are at the heart of what that movie is all about. I would love for Senator Cruz, and everyone creating fear mongering and hatred, to consider creating hope, optimism and love. Open your arms to these people, these refugees trying to get into our country, and open your hearts.”
Ted Cruz himself hasn’t commented yet on Patinkin’s comments, though it’s likely that he would simply utter the word “inconceivable!” and go along with his day.
