Markham boy gets wish, appears in Matt Damon movie

BY STEVE METSCH Sun-Times Media smetsch@southtownstar.com December 23, 2011 1:07PM

Actor Matt Damon gives a thumbs-up for Charles Finch, of Markham, during the filming of "We Bought a Zoo" in Los Angeles. Finch got a bit part in the movie through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. | Supplied photo

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Updated: December 24, 2011 2:06AM

Everyone can see Charles Finch’s Make-A-Wish moment.

Charles, a 12-year-old from Markham, is an extra in Matt Damon’s new movie, “We Bought a Zoo,” now in theaters.

“He’s a real nice person, a regular guy with a lot of money,” Charles said of Damon.

Being in the movie “was wonderful,” he said.

“One of my dreams is to be an actor. Acting is easy for me. When you grow up, you should do a job that is fun,” Charles said.

Look for Charles — along with mother Latoya, father Anthony and sister Serenity — in a scene near the tiger cage. He’s the kid wearing blue jeans and a button-down shirt over an orange shirt.

Charles filmed his role near Los Angeles earlier this year thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which tries to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Charles has Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes. He’s now in remission, Latoya said. He was diagnosed in March.

Charles didn’t even know what cancer was when doctors told him.

“Everybody was panicking. My main question was, ‘Am I going to die?’ I said, ‘It’ll be easy. I’ll be cured,’ ” Charles said.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps about 800 children in Illinois every year, spokeswoman Jessica Miller said.

On Wednesday night, Emily Beazley, a girl from Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community who has Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, realized her wish.

Emily performed in “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago with White Sox Manager Robin Ventura, and she will visit the set of a TV show next year.

Charles appeared in “A Christmas Carol” last year. Two other boys with cancer also were in the play.

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