Matthew McConaughey, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in films such as “Killer Joe,” “Interstellar,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” recently opened up about a challenging period in his career. Despite his successful track record, McConaughey confessed in an interview with Glen Powell for Interview Magazine that he considered leaving acting behind permanently.
Discussing his career trajectory, McConaughey said, “I’ve usually zigged when I felt like Hollywood wanted me to zag. When I had my rom-com years, there was only so much bandwidth I could give to those, and those were some solid hits for me. “But I wanted to try some other stuff. Of course, I wasn’t getting it, so I had to leave Hollywood for two years.”
During this uncertain period, McConaughey leaned on his wife, Camila Alves, for support. He shared, “Dude, it was scary. I had long talks with my wife about needing to find a new vocation. I think I’m going to teach high school classes. I think I’m going to study to be a conductor. I think I’m going to go be a wildlife guide. I honestly thought, ‘I stepped out of Hollywood. I got out of my lane, the lane Hollywood said I should stay in’, and Hollywood’s like, ‘Well, f**k you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later’.”
Despite the fear and uncertainty, McConaughey was determined to stick to his decision. He explained, “It was scary. The days are long — the sense of insignificance. But I made up my mind that that’s what I needed to do, so I wasn’t going to pull the parachute and quit the mission I was on. “But it was scary, because I didn’t know if I was ever going to get out of the desert.”
Reflecting on his past successes and the volatility of stardom, McConaughey added, “For me, going back to ‘A Time to Kill,’ after I first had a big success in a major studio picture and became famous, I remembered that the Thursday before that movie opened, there’s 100 scripts out there that I would’ve done, and 99 of them I could not book. Over that one weekend, 99 no’s became 99 yeses. I was like, ‘What? Three days ago, I’d have done any of these! And now you’re asking me which one I want to do?’ It was a hell of a shocking thing. I chucked on a backpack and went to Peru for three weeks just so I could hear myself think.”
Despite the challenges and moments of doubt, McConaughey’s journey through Hollywood continues to be a testament to his resilience and versatility as an actor.