Channing Tatum recalls embarrassing first exchange with Matt Damon

‘Magic Mike’ actor Channing Tatum recently revealed that he’s still cringing over what he said during his first interaction with fellow actor Matt Damon.

The 42-year-old admitted that he was extremely nervous when the two first met in 2011, and that he was particularly embarrassed he asked Damon where he’s from while attempting to keep the conversation casual.

“We’re in Albuquerque, and we’ve shot for the day. We’re all just hanging out at the hotel bar and Matt Damon comes by to hang out with Soderbergh. I’m just beside myself,” Tatum told People.

“I’m such a fan, and still am. I sat down next to him, and I was like, ‘Hey, man. Where are you from?’ — and I was like ‘I just asked Matt Damon where he’s from.’”

“Everyone on the planet knows where Matt Damon is from. He obviously knows that I know where Matt Damon is from.”

The Boston actor

For those who aren’t familiar with the actor, Damon is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and is known for having a natural Boston accent, which was a key characteristic for his role in the 2006 movie ‘The Departed.’

“I almost didn’t recover,” Tatum also explained. “I don’t think I said anything for the next maybe two hours or so, and I still think about it today. Every once in a while, I’ll just have a cold sweat and feel like, I can’t believe....”

A smooth recovery

Thankfully, Damon made the interaction as nonchalant as possible.

“He knew I was freaking out and just didn’t even acknowledge it,” Tatum explained. “Because he’s such a personable guy.”

“He just took care of me in that moment and answered me. It was like nothing ever happened. He was just like, ‘Oh, I’m from Boston. Where are you from?’ and I was like, ‘I’m from Florida.’”

Tatum added: “In my head I just kept screaming: ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

In the interview, he also explained that he sometimes panics when he talks to people, so he doesn’t really like to meet famous celebrities or people that he admires.

The embarrassing exchange happened when Tatum was finished working on set for the day, for Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film ‘Haywire’ at the time.