Having a parent in the public eye certainly brings about its fair share of perks. For Matt Damon’s daughters, having a famous dad recently meant a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with Nelson Mandela.
“That was one of the great thrills of my life,” the actor raves during a recent appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
While in Africa filming his latest movie Invictus, Matt and his wife Luciana were approached about a possible get-together with the former South African president. “They said, ‘Madiba is going to be nearby and we could go see him,” he recalls.
The couple initially turned down the offer. “My wife and I said, ‘You know what, we would rather give him the gift of five minutes where he doesn’t have to take a picture and make small talk with somebody,’” he admits.
Insisting that he was up for the visit, the Damons’ excitement quickly turned to shock when it was suggested they bring along their three girls as well.
“So we did … it was amazing to watch him,” he marvels. “Lucy and I didn’t even talk to him, we just let him hang out with the kids. He bounced them on his knee.”
Noting that it was “great to watch the kids get that they were in the presence” of Mandela, the actor was struck by then 2-year-old Isabella’s insight minutes prior to the special occasion.
“We were standing outside waiting for security to invite us into the hotel room and I was holding her,” he shares. “Whether it was my heart beat or something she just figured out. She turned and looked at the door and then she looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, who’s behind that door?’”
And while Alexia, 11, was a bit more aware of the importance — having just completed a “mini-course” on Mandela when a few of her classmates joined her in Africa — Matt’s two younger daughters were equally mesmerized.
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