Damon’s ‘fairy-tale’ stay in Ireland is grating
Ihave always loved Matt Damon, ever since he played the beefy maths genius caretaker in Good Will Hunting. He has always seemed a proper person as well as a movie star stud. But last week I found myself shaking my head sadly and saying, “nooo, Matt” when I saw the surprise interview he gave to an Irish radio station. Having been on a shoot outside Dublin that had to stop when the virus kicked off, Damon and his family, and apparently plenty more staff besides, decided to stick it out in the same place.
This is dodgy from a healthcare perspective surely; it’s not at all clear that the Irish taxpayer ought to have been prepared to fund a Damon family corona crisis. But the real rub came with his gushing description of lockdown in Dalkey.
“Yes, you have to stay within two kilometres of your house, but in two kilometres of here, there’s trees and woods, there’s ocean... I can’t think of any place you’d rather be in a two kilometres radius. I thought it was incredible two months ago, but now it’s blooming... it’s ridiculous.”
The family had brought teachers along for their three children during filming, and they have evidently just stayed on. Damon described his lockdown experience as “like a fairy tale”. No doubt when you’re a millionaire star in a mansion with staff, it is one.