US ACTOR Matt Damon is spending lockdown in Dublin and the stories coming out of the town of Dalkey are getting stranger by the day.
The Contagion star was filming for his new movie The Last Duel in Dublin when Ireland's lockdown measures came into effect, and rather than return to his native America like most of his co-stars, Damon decided to remain in Dalkey with his family.
Since then, stories of the film star's shenanigans have been cropping up from locals who have spotted him, with a photograph of the 49-year-old going viral last week which appeared to show him "going native".
Damon, who had been for a dip in the sea, was pictured carrying his clothes in a shopping bag from Irish grocery chain Supervalu, and the image quickly drew jokes and comments about how it looked like he was carrying a bag of cans for drinks with the lads-- as is tradition when the sun makes an appearance in Ireland.
Matt Damon got stuck in Dublin due to the lockdown, and now a few weeks in he looks like your cousin from Monaghan who's up for de weekend to go to de night club hai bai pic.twitter.com/U5W5V4QFls
— Philly Byrne (@PhilipNByrne) April 13, 2020
On Easter Sunday, one local woman bumped into the star while on a walk through the town-- but it didn't exactly go as planned.
Denise Deegan told The Ryan Tubridy Show that she was trying to call her mother on the phone and wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings as her mother "is not great on the phone".
“She tends to hold it away from her face so you kind of have to speak loudly to her. And because she’s been so locked up and kind of isolated I wanted to sound cheerful."
So Denise, being a wonderful and considerate daughter, "did a big, huge 'HELLOOO!"
But Denise got the shock of her life when somebody on the street said hello back to her-- and sure wasn't it only himself.
“I get all these ‘hellos’ back," Denise told the radio show, "and I kind of look up and then I realise oh my god, it’s Matt Damon!"
#MattDamon isolating in Ireland there, carrying his gear in a SuperValu bag
He’s just one utterance of ‘Sure y’know yourself’ away from being fully integrated pic.twitter.com/NQpsSTZDXT— Laura (@ElleEmSee) April 12, 2020
Flabbergasted, Denise tried to explain herself to the The Martian star and said: "‘Oh no, no, no, no! I’m talking to my mum!’ ... because I just didn’t want him to think I was one of those people who just kind of goes, ‘Oh, hi!’ just because you’re famous.”
“And then I came across as rude because then I was like, ‘why would I say hello to you?’ kind of thing."
Admitting she was "scrambling for sanity" at the time, the Dalkey native still said Damon was "just so nice".
"He had this big Matt Damon smile and I just sort of scooted off like a bullet.”
Hairy Baby don't do Matt Damon tote bags but if we did.....😄 pic.twitter.com/UGxlKCkRLp
— Hairy Baby T-Shirts (@HairyBabyTees) April 12, 2020
As if things weren't strange enough, Dublin Live reports today that dozens of 'Wanted Posters' have been cropping up around the town, which offer €1,000 worth of concert tickets to anyone who can put them in touch with Damon.
Founder of local Dublin radio station The Rock, Lloyd Barber has made it his goal to interview the film star while he quarantines in the town, and it seems the wanted posters are the way to go.
The posters read:
“We are offering a substantial reward of €1,000 worth of amazing VIP concert tickets (plus meet and greets) for this summer (or next) here in Dublin for information that can connect us for an interview with US actor Mr Matt Damon recently spotted in Dalkey."
Injecting some Irish humour into the bizarre-- but isn't everything bizarre right now?-- situation, the poster goes on to warn people to approach the star with caution if spotted.
“If you spot Matt- approach with caution as he is lethal with a newspaper and a can of hairspray, has a smile that can take an eye out and would much prefer to blow up Nazis than spend a weekend stuck at home on the farm with the folks."
If you know how to reach Matt Damon and would like to get your hands on 1,000 worth of VIP concert tickets, you can ask the star to contact The Rock's Content Editor James O’Connor via email: [email protected].
