Dapper Facts about Matthew McConaughey

October 18, 2023 | Miles Brucker

Dapper Facts about Matthew McConaughey


“Alright, alright, alright". – Matthew McConaughey. Does he need any further introduction?

Here are a few things you might not know about America’s favorite bongo-playing, half-undressed cowboy: Matthew McConaughey.


1. Third Time’s The Charm

Matthew McConaughey’s parents married three times, having divorced each other twice prior.

Matthew McConaughey

2. What A Way To Go

His mother revealed in a book that McConaughey’s father passed while the two were making love.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

3. Do You Feel A Draft?

McConaughey’s father, Jim, was drafted into the NFL by the Green Bay Packers. In the 27th round. A clear sign that the NFL draft is way too long.

Matthew McConaughey facts Shutterstock

4. As The Rooster Crows

McConaughey’s older brother Mike is nicknamed “Rooster,” and is a self-made millionaire who stars on the CNBC series West Texas Investors Club which just sounds like a fancy way to say Dallas Buyer’s Club.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

5. Just A Pretty Face

While attending Longview High School in Longview, Texas, McConaughey was voted “Most Handsome” in his senior year, which is sort of like Michael Jordan being voted “Most Athletic".

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

6. So Very Texan

His first job in high school was at the local country club where his duties included raking, preparing the sand traps and catching armadillos.

Matthew McConaughey facts Getty Images

7. Even More Texan

McConaughey is related to Confederate brigadier general Dandridge McRae who served in several key battles that prolonged the Civil Battle.

Matthew McConaughey FactsWikimedia Commons

8. Almost Legitimate

His original plan was to graduate from college and attend law school, but then he realized he had no interest in becoming a lawyer and decided he’d be better off playing a lawyer instead.

Owen Wilson factsFlickr, Moody College of Communication

9. A Real Newsman

McConaughey started his on-screen career in television commercials, including one for a daily newspaper in Austin, Texas, which is his first speaking role. The line was, “How else am I gonna keep up with my Horns?”

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

10. Eminently Quotable

He was cast in the 1993 Richard Linklater comedy Dazed and Confused as a man in his early 20s who keeps hanging out with high schoolers. This character spawned one of his more famous lines (not including the iconic ‘alright’ triplet): “That’s what I love about those high school students, man. I get older, but they stay the same age".

Matthew McConaughey factsDazed and Confused (1993), Gramercy Pictures

11. I’m Gonna Ask Y’all To Close Your Eyes

McConaughey’s big break came in the 1996 courtroom drama A Time to Kill, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name. He was especially noted for his delivery of his character’s closing statement.

Matthew McConaughey factsA Time to Kill (1996), Warner Bros.

12. Save The Cat

In addition to his heroics in Louisiana, McConaughey saved a cat in Sherman Oaks, California. After spotting kids covering the frightened feline in hairspray and trying to light it on fire, he jumped out of the car, grabbed the cat, and took it to an animal sanctuary.

Matthew McConaughey factsShutterstock

13. A Staple In Any Rom Com Diet

Throughout the 2000s, McConaughey was cast mostly in romantic comedies including The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, Fool’s Gold, and Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past.

Matthew McConaughey factsHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Paramount Pictures

14. Rolling Down The River

To promote the 2005 film Sahara, McConaughey sailed down the Amazon River and trekked to Mali. To be fair, he was probably going to do it anyway because it sounds like such a McConaughey thing to do.

Matthew McConaughey factsSahara (2005), Paramount Pictures

15. Over His Deceased Body

In 2005, McConaughey was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive". But that might have only been because Pope John Paul II had just passed and was no longer in contention.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

16. You Are What You Eat

McConaughey replaced Sam Elliot for the national radio campaign, “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner". A gorgeous hunk of meat promoting hunks of meat? Makes perfect sense.

Matthew McConaughey factsShutterstock

17. It’s Not Re-Branding, It’s Un-Branding

Realizing that constantly running around shirtless, playing bongos, and starring in romantic comedies might be preventing him from being cast in more dramatic roles, McConaughey started to cultivate a more serious image and was rewarded with his role as a male night club owner in Magic Mike, which despite how it appears on paper, was a step in the right direction.

Matthew McConaughey factsMagic Mike (2012), Iron Horse Entertainment

18. A Dramatic Turn

McConaughey’s move towards more complex and dramatic roles was dubbed by critic Rachel Syme as “The McConaissance".

Matthew McConaughey FactsFlickr, Nick Gray

19. Not His First Rodeo

For his role as an AIDS-stricken rodeo rider in Dallas Buyer’s Club, McConaughey lost nearly 50 lbs, which is a lot of McConaughey for the world to lose.

Matthew McConaughey factsDallas Buyers Club (2013), Focus Features

20. Dream Team

Dallas Buyer’s Club earned McConaughey a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor. His co-star Jared Leto also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor making this the first film since 2003’s Mystic River to score both awards.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

21. Under The Influence

In 2014, Time magazine included McConaughey in its annual Time 100 as one of the “Most Influential People in the World".

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

22. He Makes The Back Seat Look Cool

His influence was demonstrated as McConaughey starred in a serious of commercials for Lincoln cars and increased sales by 25 percent within a month after the ads debuted. Hey, we’ve seen those commercials. If we could afford one, we’d have bought a Lincoln too.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

23. To Thine Own Self Be True

McConaughey shared the lead with Woody Harrelson in HBO’s 2014 series True Detective. For his role as Rustin Cohle, McConaughey was nominated for an Emmy. He lost to Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, which, as competition goes, is about as tough as it gets.

Matthew McConaughey factsTrue Detective (2014), HBO

24. Girls Gone Wild

In 2016, McConaughey was brought in as the creative director and celebrity spokesman for Wild Turkey bourbon’s latest campaign in the hopes that he’d bring in more female customers.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

25. Family Man

McConaughey is married to Brazilian model Camila Alves and together they have three children, Levi, Livingston, and Vida.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

26. McConaughey’s Ark

As if he wasn’t awesome enough, McConaughey rescued pets who were stranded by flooding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He saved 50 dogs, 18 cats, and 2 hamsters.

Matthew McConaughey factsGetty Images

27. Dazed And Refused

In 1999, McConaughey was detained for “possession of marijuana” and “resisting transportation” after authorities found him playing bongo drums without clothes. He allegedly kept turning down the officer’s request for him to put on pants.

Matthew McConaughey FactsGetty Images

Sources: 1 2 3

 

 

 


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