Matthew McConaughey on Levi's Near Miss

John Calabrese/Gaz Shirley/Pacific Coast News

Much has been said about 9 ½-month-old Levi Alves McConaughey‘s travels, but during a Thursday visit to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, his dad — actor Matthew McConaughey — revealed that Levi has also had his first brush with danger on the road! About one hour after this photo was taken of Matthew and partner Camila Alves in the Grand Canyon, the family of three were settling in for a picnic lunch on the edge of a cliff when Matthew’s faithful dog B.J. began to growl. Matthew turned to discover an “800 pound ram” staring back at them. “I grab B.J. because I was worried he’d startle the ram,” Matthew explained. “And then the ram lowers his head and starts doing a little hoof kicking.”

“I look down, and I’ve got Levi in my left arm. I’m going, this is getting kind of hairy!”

Matthew said he stood up slowly, and tried to make eye contact with the ram. “If we can speak mammal-to-mammal, now is the time to do it,” Matthew recalled thinking. He then looked for a tree to hide behind with Levi, for Camila had already safely sought refuge. “I ended up snuggling up in a little briar patch with a [tree] trunk about the size of a quarter,” Matthew laughed. “It wouldn’t have stopped a freaking lizard.” Fortunately, it didn’t need to; After a 15-second standoff, the ram left.

Levi — described by his dad as “a flirt” — is “starting to get fun,” according to Matthew, who adds that his son has been “kind of a blob” up until recently. That sense of fun is on full display during baby boy’s diaper changes!  “He’s starting to get away with things,” Matthew revealed with a smile. “He’s getting pretty crafty.”

“Here’s what he’s getting away with, though, and the thing is he knows he’s doing it. I’m changing a diaper, right, over Levi…Everything’s great, he seems to be in a decent mood, and all of a sudden I’m getting wet under the chin. He’s peeing on me and he’s cracking a smile like ‘Yep, gotcha!’ At 8-months-old, he already knows ‘Yep, I gotcha.’”

Matthew’s new film Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is in theaters now.

Source: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Comments

“800 pound ram”

I have never heard of a ram *that* big 0_0 I’ve heard the adult males can be around 200- 300. Quite honestly, his story sounds made up. Lately Matthew is starting to strike me as someone who makes stuff up : /

- Megan on May 4th, 2009

Only Matthew would have an adventure like that! Lol

- HeatherR on May 4th, 2009

He was using hyperbole to tell a story. It’s a common story-telling technique. Doesn’t mean he made it up.

- MZ on May 4th, 2009

i think i would have done what Camilla done ie run and hide.my baby would be in safe hands.lol

- anne on May 4th, 2009

i don’t think he made it up, i think he just exagerrated the ram’s weight. But, don’t get mad at me, but if Camila was going to leave, and run for safety, she could’ve at least taken her baby with her! Seriously, Camila, don’t just think of yourself!

- Catherine on May 4th, 2009

Notice he said his baby has been “like a blob”? Didnt Angelina say that and she got soo much cr** from the media! I, personally, agree that yes babies are like blobs up until they start developing their personalities but its just funny how people and the media blow certain stupid things out of proportion depending upon the celebrity.

- Lee on May 4th, 2009

I was thinking the same thing as Catherine. Why wouldn’t she grab the baby before she ran? Of course, I’ve never experienced anything like that so I have no clue how I’d react.

- OKLAmom on May 4th, 2009

Matthew did not make it clear that Camila was right next to them while this was all going on. Perhaps she had walked away to grab something or to sight see something. She may have been closer to a big tree to hide behind than to Matthew and the baby. It might have been more harmful for her to run to the baby because she probably didn’t want to make any sudden moves. We don’t know that aspect of the story so we really shouldn’t be saying that she should have gotten the baby when maybe that wasn’t a plausible solution at the time.

- Laura on May 4th, 2009

Lee and Catherine – I was thinking the same thing! When I say the quote about him being a blob, I thought oh geez, here we go again because I remember the backlash AJ got for saying that. They are blobs when they’re babies! It’s not a mean statement. And Catherine, my first thought was she went running for cover but didn’t take her baby? I woulnd’t have ran for cover if I didn’t have my baby with me…but we don’t know all the details. Maybe she was already by the car or somewhere else and not right with them when it happened. Who knows.

- Becky on May 4th, 2009

Really strange that Camila would run for cover WITHOUT her baby…How could she leave Matthew to guard the dog AND the baby?

- mamabear on May 4th, 2009

Matthew stated he was holding Levi in his left arm. Why should he have given up the baby for her to hold?

- Colleen on May 4th, 2009

interesting story, i’m sure the baby would have been protected by either parent so it really doesn’t matter that mattew was holding him. camila was probably too far off and didn’t want to make any sudden moves, with an 800lb ram roaming around.

- jessie on May 4th, 2009

Why would she take the baby it’s not like he was on the floor he was in Matthew’s arms… to hand him over, it’s more movement, maybe disturbing the baby… the last thing you need when you’re in front of a potentially dangerous animal is a screaming baby!!
He was going to hide too. She just did it faster because she didn’t have Levi.

- Alice on May 4th, 2009

haha I described my daughter as a blob who did nothing but eat, poop, and scream at me for the first 4 months, doesn’t mean I didn’t love her:)

- jessica on May 4th, 2009

Seriously, the first thing I thought of when I saw that ‘Camilla was already in shelter’ was that she was near a bathroom or something. Seriously, she was near something because you aren’t going to run far with a ram right there, actually you’re not going to run at all because then the ram would DEFINITELY charge you. Also, you’re not going to take a kid away from someone much stronger than you while in a situation like that. He said it lasted all of 15 secs. not exactly time to plan an escape or even hand the kid over.

- Sarah on May 4th, 2009

ya know, as CRAZY as that story sounds I can toally picture it!

- hkdiaz on May 4th, 2009

If you look at the picture you’ll see that Levi was strapped to Matthew in a carrier so it was probably just not plausible to grab the baby and take him.

- JP on May 4th, 2009

Yikes! Wonder why the bighorn ram would adopt the “dominance” position? It isn’t rutting season, although it is lambing season so maybe there were lambs nearby and the male was protecting its family?

I wonder if the Grand Canyon park had warnings out for people to not go in certain areas or to be on the alert for wild animals, including the bighorns.

800 pounds? Goodness, it would be a wonder if the ram could even move with that kind of weight! Try 250 to 300 pounds.

But yeah, once the ram bows its head and starts pawing the ground you’re best make yourself look as big as you can, and slowly back away (don’t turn your back on the animal), and get the heck out of there.

I don’t know why people were criticizing Camila for not grabbing Levi and running away. Any sudden action would have made the situation worse. Besides she wasn’t near them and she wasn’t holding Levi. Besides Matthew is bigger and stronger than Camila so I would think he’s the better choice to protect the baby with his body.

Goes to show never let your guard down in the outdoors. We’re in the animals’ natural habitat and we always need to be on our guard and prepared for safety’s sake.

- eternalcanadian on May 4th, 2009

i think all who’ve had baby boys know we all get peed on a time or two! lol

- french gigi on May 4th, 2009

So the fact that Levi’s father held him through this makes Camila a selfish person? Wow…

- Hea on May 5th, 2009

Santi-moms always have something to say. Matthew tells a cute, funny, and terrifying story and one that I’m sure will get repeated often well into when Levi is an adult and I’m sure the ram will get bigger and bigger.

- aroundthewaygirl on May 5th, 2009