How does a Hollywood actor in a business that frequently objectifies women teach his daughters not to be treated as objects?
That’s something Matt Damon addresses in an interview with Katie Couric in Glamour magazine. Matt has 4 daughters with his wife Lucy.
Katie Couric: What kind of message do you hope to impart to your daughters about their place in the world?
Matt Damon: I want them to know that their decisions matter and that their actions matter. I want them to have a sense of responsibility for the way they treat people. And I want to help them build an ethical framework with which to approach the world.
KC: …and girls are always trying to figure out what guys want, if you were editing a magazine for young women, what advice would you give?
MD: I can only speak to what attracts me. What attracted me to Lucy was her strength, her sense of herself. So I’d say don’t worry about what everybody else wants you to be. And don’t be afraid to be all those things I want for my daughters. There are always articles about what men want, but I guarantee you that any man worth his salt wants a woman who is smart and strong and secure in who she is.
[Glamour, print edition, February 2011]
How cool is he? I think he really means it too. Some actors might say they want strong, smart women but always leave the party with the shallowest dingbat in the shortest skirt.
Matt is the co-founder of Water.org, an organization “committed to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries.”
Matt is also teaching his daughters another important lesson in life. Matt is true to his Boston roots and promises that his daughter will support “the Red Sox, because they love their dad.”
These photos of Matt with his two middle daughters and wife at the airport is from October, 2008. Credit: Bauergriffinonline. He’s also shown on 12/14 with his wife, Luciana and on 1/17/11 on the set of We Bought a Zoo, an upcoming Cameron Crowe movie. Credit: Fame
Awww, I love that he is devoted to his family and is such a good guy and terrific actor.
i think they’re a very sweet couple and his relationship with her almost makes me forgive him for dumping minnie driver on oprah…actually no, in my mind he’ll always be associated with that douche move.
that alone makes him awesome. think i’m really starting to like Matt Damon.
a clever guy in Hollywood: great!!!
He is so talented, loyal and all that other stuff. It is nice to see a real man. I find him even more sexy now.
Didn’t he marry a woman who was still cocktail-waitressing in her 30s and subsequently turned her vadge into a clown car – or is that a different Matt Damon? And I’m not doubting they have a great relationship, but to say “don’t worry about what other people want you to be” and then come up with a “men want…” without pausing for breath is kinda ironic!
Matt just keeps confirming my gut instincts about him that go way back to his beginnings – he is something out of the ordinary (in a great way!) in Hollywood!
What is the official line for considering a vadge to have been turned into “a clown car” anyway? Four kids doesn’t seem that weird to me. When I lived in the American Midwest (Great Lakes region) two was absolutely the norm for number of kids, the only people I knew with three had had triplets! In Texas three and four seem to be the norm. If Matt Damon married a single mom who was waitressing to support her kid and they wanted to have several more kids, I wouldn’t sweat it, tapioca!
Tapioca — she was a bartender…HUGE difference…
Way to whitewash Damon.
Yes, I like the image he presents but I also know it’s just an image…
I keep thinking that I couldn’t possibly love him any more & then he comes up with something like this… le sigh, he is a perfect man… 😀
Oh & GO SOX!! We already have a stash of Sox stuff for our baby & I can’t wait to dress him in it!! 😀
who cares if she was a bartender? that is hard work, and she was a single mom. and i’ve met many a fame whore with college degrees and good jobs, both male and female.
boy, with all of these rash divorces in hollywood, something is working for them.
It is well known that man Damon and Ben Affleck loved there stripers! They use to go to striper joints all the time… Actually that is were he met his wife. And I have to agree with Tapioca and Jen “This is just an image”. Because she does not strike me as smart strong and secure. With all the influence that she has now I don’t see her doing any charitable work or going back to college, actually she never speaks. She just looks like a wall flower to me. But they do seem like a nice couple.
Damon is one in a million.
That last picture is kind of priceless. Someone woke that girl up in the middle of a good nap, and damned if she isn’t clearly displeased with the results.
@tapioca lucy’s vadge is not a clown car. that honor belongs to the following : octobat, khate gosselin and michelle duggar.
lucy was a bartender, (believe it o not there is a difference between cocktail waitressing and bar tending)
I find it strange that some people are so bothered by Matt Damon’s wife. She doesn’t seem to be a famewhore or tries to always be in the spotlight. Let’s save the hate for people who actually deserve to be hated for being fame whores (e.g. Paris Hilton).
They actually seem to be a great couple. Good for them.
@heavenbound: were those horizontal or vertical “stripers” that they liked so much?
@ Samihami Ha ha LOL sorry for the typo.. I meant stripper 🙂
Do you know how many zillions of perfectly normal men go to strip clubs? That doesn’t mean anything about their goodness as a person, as far as I’m concerned. Men like boobs. And why does Matt’s wife strike you as “not smart or strong or secure”. Did she do an interview and come across weak and stupid and insecure or something? She just seems the quiet type who is prob extremely busy with 4 kids to raise. Don’t get the hate here at all.
@ Trillion,
Look I am not going to get into an argument about this, you have your opinion and some of us see things differently. You don’t need a person to speak. Body language can tell you a lot of how a person is like. It is MY personal opinion that she just does not come across as very smart. If she is a good person or not who is to say. Just like from her image YOU get that she is very quiet and busy (I am sure she is but she has nannies). So we don’t really know what they are like right? We just get a feel from what we SEE. And please don’t use the word hate. It is such a strong word. I don’t hate her at all. Im just giving and opinion that is all.
Wow I cant believe the people on here judging lucy like that. We dont know her at all to make a judgement anyway. She doesnt throw herself into the spotlight or anything. Who are you to say she isnt smart and secure? Just because someone was a bartender doesnt mean theyre stupid.
Whatever, unless your a matt damon superfan or stalker how can you know anything about her?
I like Matt Damon. He does always seem sincere. Im sure he had party days with bimbos at one point but hes trying to say men should look for or settle down with a real woman.
bartenders, and many waitresses [ahem, ‘servers’ nowadays] make GREAT money, often times….
I lived in na college town where it was not unfrequen tto see people with master’s or even phd’s, who wanted to stay in said town, bar tend or wait tables for a living.
i myself waited tables and was able to finance travels all over the globe…twice.
so, she probably earned good money to raise her kid that way.
just sayin’-
there is no need to look down on that.
let’s take it individually.
b/c not everyone wants to be a lawyer, doctor or teacher. and certainly we’ve all met crappy people in these professions, as well. what one does for a living is not a guaranteed indicator of one’s character.
Though, I will add: A woman does need to be strong to deal as a bartender. seriously-that job requires a tough personality, or at least a thick skin. i’ll generalize-lucy is argentine-she’s probably feisty.
i just fell a little in love with him. but he needs to get hornrims and ditch those old lady glasses.
And that’s why you married a waitress. Oh, I’m sorry, interior decorator. Or was it bartender. Can’t keep up. I see people on here can’t wait to heap on the praise for him, though. He’s just talking out of his ass, like 99% of actors do.
they seem to be proof that if you want to avoid the spotlight, you can. i rarely see photos of the kids or even them. seems like she has been having kids and actually raising them.
Heavenbound: I don’t mind people being judge-y. That’s a big part of this site. But at least have some backup. I’m still curious how you can tell if someone is not smart, not strong, or insecure by the way they look in pictures or how a quality of a person is measured by whether or not they go to strip clubs. That’s just extra judge-y and finger-pointy with nothing to base it on. I base my judgement of her seeming quiet on the fact that I’ve never heard of her doing any press or publicity-seeking and judge her degree of business based on reality. I have one kid and I’m busy as hell. Four is gonna make a person busy, nanny or not. Pretty sure we can at least agree on that!
I love how people assume that a stripper couldn’t possibly be smart or secure. There are plenty people who are in “legit” businesses who are insecure idiots. Don’t assume too much…
Also, great message for his daughters!
@ Trillion
**big sigh** I cant believe I am even responding to this. So you have never judged someone by how they look and act? You must be the only human on the planet that is not judge-y (as you put it). I am sure you took psychology in college. There is extensive research that people can judge you or perceive you a certain way by how you seem to appear. I have read in other blogs of people that have known her or gone to school with her when she lived in Miami and in California, and have stated that she is not that bright. And it appears to ME that she isn’t. Do I have proof? no but that is how she comes across to me. Again it is just an opinion. It’s not like I said anything derogatory about her. geesh, No one has real concrete proof of what they post here. So stop riding my A$$.
And Matt didn’t dump Minnie Driver on Oprah – they had already broken up. Enough of that fake story already.
I did not care for him when he was younger but I’m finding him out to be a seemingly great guy. I agree. Let’s leave the hate for someone who is actually heinous.
I actually kinda like that he married this very average woman and not a model or an actress. To me that showed that he wanted a normal life with someone that wasn’t going to want to be in the spotlight. She seems like she just likes spending her time at home with her family and who honestly cares if she has invested her husband’s money in charity. He seems to be doing enough of that and we don’t know how much input she does or doesn’t have on that. Also, doing charity work in Hollywood is basically throwing a party and asking people to sign a check … I never get why people are so impressed by that. It’s not like any of them are in soup kitchen doing actual work … they wear fancy clothes, eat expensive food, pat themselves on the back and sign money they barely worked for. Color me impressed …
Maybe what he is presenting is just an image but I’ve seen him in interviews and he gives off a good vibe. I don’t think you can fake that … atleast I’ve yet to be fooled but doesn’t mean I haven’t been …
Good Will Stuntin’! I love his comments. Even if it’s a front, unless he’s secretly Mel Gibson’s mini-me or is hangin’ like Steve Harvey when the paps go home, Matt’s ok with me.
And what’s with the wife comments? It doesn’t take an Einstien to have a good marriage and raise decent kids, nanny or not. Lay off the retired waitressbartenderinteriordesigner. Whatever’s going on with her, it works for him. That’s all that counts.
What is wrong with being a cocktail waitress, or a bartender? Get off your high horses and realize that they work harder than you probably ever will.
Oh, and they probably make more money than you and your fancy degrees. What the hell is wrong with you women? Nobody is better than anybody else, especially because of their JOB. Look at how they treat others, then judge.
Whatever she did, bartending, whatever, she seems to be secure in who she is. No bizarre plastic surgery, no turning into a bobblehead with skinny body after hanging out in Hollywood, a mother already, which he must have found appealing because it grounded her, no phony baloney, pretentious behavior like Camille Grammer. I’d say he was a smart man marrying her. He knew she would make a great partner in life.
Heaven Bound, aside from anonymous internet blogs of someone knows someone who knows (same ol same ol crap), how could you get from her she doesn’t appear that bright? She never gives interviews nor talks on the red carpet. She leaves it to him. I’ve never seen her speak. So pray tell how you’re able to make such a judgment.
Seriously, @Tamiko?!! Waitressing is an honest and oftentimes good paying job. In this economy there are many people who would love to have any kind of work. I waited tables for years to put food on my table and pay for my college degree so that I did not have to accrue ridiculous college loan debt. I believe I’ve encountered people like you at work. Snobbish people that attempted to treat my like I was their lowly “help”, or looked down their nose at other waitstaff because they felt entitled- all the while entrusting us to provide them nourishment. They were usually cheap tippers to boot. It doesn’t go unnoticed. If I were you, I would be checking extra for a little spittle on the bottom of your dessert spoon. As a side note, my husband thinks I’m very strong, safe, and secure- much like his mother who raised six children and his three sisters- one a forest ranger, one who’s a year out of medical school and the other a geophysicist, respectfully.
stong, “smart”, and secure.
geez he keeps talking about his wife’s “smartness”… give it a rest Damon, stop trying to justify your choice for not marrying someone umm… prettier… if she was really so strong and smart she would have had some formal qualifications and not be a waitress/bartender, did she ever go to College/Uni? no? wow she’s so smart! But I guess she must be “street smart” for landing a rich good looking A-list actor despite being an average looking single mom waitress haha
I’ve come across a few commenters who said they knew her/someone who knew her and she wasn’t very nice/bright/whatever. But it’s easy to make up whatever you want on the net. My own opinion is that she’s quiet, and focused on her family. She’s not out famewhoring or falling out of clubs at 3am. Since I’ve never heard her interviewed, I can’t comment on her intelligence.
@bodhi, as the sister-in-law of a former stripper (who, at one time danced for Bruce Willis and Glenn Danzig) I can say with certainty that men who frequent stip clubs are not “normal.” Since when is objectifying women and treating them like chattle “normal?” I’m thankful my husband grew up with a sister for a stripper. He really got a first hand look at how truly awful these men treated his sister and her co-workers. This is why he abhors strip clubs. Plus, why would I (or anyone) want to be married to a man who throws $ at some strange woman shaking her breasts at him, when I shake mine and I’m not seeing any $’s. LOL. As for Damon, he talks a good game, but anyone that’s THAT close to Affleck has to harboring some deviant tendencies.
I love gossip but I always feel so bad when I see these kind of pictures where the celebs have to hide their children or the children are crying or upset, maybe because of paparazzi. I’m going to seem like a hypocrite because I AM reading this but I wish they wouldn’t hound them when their kids are there.
@Stop kidding yourself: sorry, but saying you spit in people’s food because you perceive that they are looking down on you hardly sounds ‘stong [sic], “smart,” and secure.’
@Morticians do it better: ” I can say with certainty that men who frequent stip clubs are not “normal.” Since when is objectifying women and treating them like chattle “normal?””
Thank you, that caught my eye too.
@runs with scissors,
I would NEVER do anything to any person’s food. I have, however, known people who have worked in the restaurant industry to retaliate to nasty pieces of work who demean or degrade them because they feel people in the service industry are “beneath them.” I think that ALL people, regardless of their jobs should be treated with respect, and I’m standing by that.
Also, @runs with scissors (the name seems to suit)”stong” was quite obviously a typo- the bitchy remark was unnecessary and unwarranted.
His wife is absolutely gorgeous! WOW
muy caliente
who cares if she was a bartender, most actresses in holiday had their start in bars or restaurants. A JOB IS A JOB, at least she wasn’t stripping
I was a bartender/waitress in college, too and it is one hard hussle. Anyone who makes an honest buck in an honest job deserves a tip of the hat. I look back at that time now as being one of the best times of my life. It was hard work, but it was fun. Oh, and as my dearly departed dad used to say,”A guy doesn’t really become a man until he has a daughter.” He also said that if he had it to do all over again, he would have 6 kids instead of 3 and all of them would be girls. I think Matt is a very happily out-numbered man.
Yeah, but she was a waitress. When a millionaire marries a stewardess or waitress I wonder if “strong, and independent” is the right word. More like non demanding and ready to “fold” into their life.
Bar maid K-Fedette. If he’s into equality he’ll understand that one. What goes for gander, is good for goose.
I love him, what a wonderful quote! 🙂
Her job is not the issue or anyones business. It is typical of women to cut down another woman for reasons that are superficial. I think he is a nice guy but he did seem kind of lost and lonely for some years in his late 20’s and into his 30’s. Some men need to belong and he kind of lagged behind Brad Pitt and George Clooney as an actor and you could kind of tell he was like the younger sibling who hadnt had his time to shine. He is the kind of guy who needs approval and wants to be liked by everyone. He needs to say, “my wife”, “my kids”, “my family”, he does it in interviews all the time. Nice guy, great actor but not without insecurities. At least he is down to earth enough to make a decent life with a woman who is “ordinary”, raise another mans child as his own and have decency about him. Not a bad all round package!!
@Stop kidding yourself, sorry, misunderstood, good to know you wouldn’t spit in people’s food. The ‘sic’ wasn’t meant to be bitchy, just quoting your quote.
Done my fair share of food service (waitress, cocktail waitress, concessions, etc.) working my way through school, and I think it’s disgusting and demeaning for a person to stoop to the level of spitting in someone’s food because they feel inferior. I’ve had lots of rude comments over the years and one day an older waitress pulled me aside and said, ‘no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ (orig. Eleanor Roosevelt, I think.) People who are rude like that are just stupid and cowardly and at the end of the day, we all have to go home with ourselves.
First of all I will say I agree on the fact that everyone is entiteled to their own opinion
Now here goes mine
I personally think that there are different types of intelligence, there are some people have huge degrees and are emotionally retarded. I feel that Matt said those things about his wife because he feels she is a great woman who he admires and loves, I have heard him talk many times and I am sure most of you would agree on the fact that he is a very (academically) intelligent men, so I am pretty sure she is not a stupid woman in any sense
As I went to college I stripped for 4 years, i always read how a lot of women write derogatory things about strippers and I understand cause it comes from insecurity. I never was treated like ” cattle” I would go and work whenever I wanted (no schedule) and when I was there I was free to do what I wanted, nobody was telling me or pushing me to do things I didn’t want to do and I will add to that that in all the four years I danced there was nit one men who disrespected me, they where all very nice, it was a fair exchange
They wanted to see a naked girl, I wanted money, they didn’t hurt me nor I hurted them.
As a last point I will add that I met my wonderful husband at that club, he is extremely handsome, super successful, and the best men I could ever marry, we have been together for 7 years
Being a dancer was one thing I will never regret, it paid for all my education and let me be able to study without stress, I met my wonderful husband , who is very normal, by the way and it was grate for my confinance.
I meant confidence, this I pad drives me nuts!
He’s looking for an ugly, gold digging bar maid – he got it!
Awww reading these comments kinda make me feel bad for her! She seems harmless, supports her husband, loves her family, and pretty much stays out of the spotlight. What is there to hate? And he obviously adores her, which is more than I can say for a lot of husbands. NORMALLY I wouldn’t be one to say this but I think people are a little jealous.