You may have guessed this already, but we'll make absolutely sure. Even though Spielberg was enamored with Matt Damon from the moment that Robin Williams first introduced the two on the set of 'Good Will Hunting', Damon wasn't the first person Spielberg though of for the role. Preparation for the movie was still at an early stage, but there was another name already in the frame for Damon's part.
That name would be Neil Patrick Harris. At the time, Harris would have been a fresh-faced newcomer to the movie world, arguably not even as well-known as Damon himself was. Harris is known and loved by audiences as the star of the long running sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother'. Would 'Saving Private Ryan' put his career onto a different path? Would Damon have ended up in the sitcom instead? Who knows; it was one of Hollywood's many 'Sliding Doors' moments!