After starring in a series of rom-coms in the 2000s, Matthew McConaughey revealed that he almost quit acting altogether. McConaughey sat down for an interview with Glen Powell for Interview Magazine, reflecting on his career trajectory and his desire to branch out from the genre that made him a star.
Among the films that McConaughey starred in during that period were The Wedding Planner (2001), How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). While the movies were successful, McConaughey felt constrained by the genre and hoped to try something different.
“I’ve usually zigged when I felt like Hollywood wanted me to zag,” he told Powell. “Of course, I wasn’t getting it, so I had to leave Hollywood for two years.”
During that time, McConaughey contemplated leaving acting altogether and pursuing other vocations, such as teaching high school classes, studying to be a conductor, or becoming a wildlife guide. “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*** you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later.'”
After two years, McConaughey returned to acting and sought out grittier roles, such as his turn in The Lincoln Lawyer. He also cemented his position as a Hollywood A-lister with a string of high-profile films, including Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Interstellar. In 2014, he starred in the first season of HBO’s True Detective, which he co-produced alongside Woody Harrelson.
True Detective has since spawned additional seasons, with the latest, True Detective: Night Country, co-produced by McConaughey and Harrelson. The show received critical acclaim, with NME calling it “brilliant winter TV: scary, suspenseful and smartly constructed to leave you pondering every last plot twist and shock reveal.
Read the full article on NME here: Read More