Early life
McConaughey, the youngest of three boys, was born in Uvalde, Texas, the son of Mary Kathleen "Kay" (nee McCabe), and James Donald McConaughey, a gas station owner who ran an oil pipe supply business and once played football for the Green Bay Packers.[3] McConaughey has Irish ancestry[4] and had what he describes as a strict Baptist upbringing.[5] McConaughey's mother and late father divorced and re-married each other several times.[6]
McConaughey moved to Longview, Texas—located east of Dallas. He lived for a year in Gorokan, New South Wales, Australia as a Rotary exchange student.[7]
Career
McConaughey began his acting career in 1991, appearing in television commercials while attending College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, where he joined Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity, before being cast in Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.[citation needed] After appearing in some smaller roles in Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Boys on the Side, and the television series Unsolved Mysteries, McConaughey's big break came as the lawyer "Jake Brigance" in the 1996 film A Time to Kill, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name.[citation needed]
McConaughey was cast in leading roles in many more movies: Contact, Amistad, The Newton Boys, Edtv, and U-571.[citation needed] By the early 2000s, he was frequently cast in romantic comedies, including The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, both of which were successful at the box office. During this period, he appeared as a firefighter in the low-budget film Tiptoes, opposite Rene Russo, in Two For The Money as a protege to Al Pacino's gambling mogul, and in Frailty, cast against type as a serial killer, opposite Bill Paxton.[citation needed]
McConaughey starred in the feature film Sahara, along with Steve Zahn and Penélope Cruz. Prior to the release of the movie, he promoted it by repeating some trips he took in the late 1990s, including sailing down the Amazon River and trekking to Mali.[citation needed] That same year, McConaughey was named People magazine's “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2005.[8]
In 2006, he co-starred with Sarah Jessica Parker in the romantic comedy Failure to Launch, which was reasonably successful at the box office. McConaughey also provided voice work for an ad campaign of the Peace Corps in late 2006. Matthew's production company, j.k. livin, is currently in development on projects with Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount Pictures and Imagine Entertainment and can most recently be seen in the football drama We Are Marshall. He is supposedly in line to star as Thomas Magnum in the 2009 movie Magnum, P.I.[9] McConaughey appeared in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, replacing Owen Wilson for the role.[citation needed]
On January 21, 2008, McConaughey became the new spokesman for the national radio campaign, "Beef: It's What's For Dinner".[10][11]
Personal life
McConaughey approaching the finish line in a triathlon, September 2008
McConaughey's personal motto is "Just Keep Livin". His foundation is called j.k. livin foundation (all lower-case), which "is dedicated to helping teenage kids lead active lives and make healthy choices to become great men and women." (from the website)[citation needed]
McConaughey rescued various pets, including cats, dogs and hamsters that were stranded after the flooding of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina.[12] In 2006, in Sherman Oaks, California, he rescued a cat from two youths who had doused the animal in hairspray and were attempting to set it on fire.[13]
McConaughey's personal life is the subject of media attention. He has dated actresses Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd, Penelope Cruz and Salli Richardson.[citation needed]
McConaughey and his Brazilian girlfriend Camila Alves have a son named Levi Alves McConaughey—born on July 7, 2008 in Los Angeles.[14] On June 21, 2009, Matthew announced that he and girlfriend Camila would be expecting their second child together.[15]
Matthew McConaughey lived at The Castilian Residential Hall while attending The University of Texas at Austin. He became a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity while at the University of Texas.[16] McConaughey is an avid fan of the Texas Longhorns and the Washington Redskins.[17]
In May 2008, actor Matthew McConaughey revealed that he never uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The next day, he received a year's supply of deodorant body spray from the Axe Company, along with a note on why he might want to start.
[18]
On October 26, 1999, McConaughey was arrested in Austin, Texas, for resisting arrest following a disturbance in the early hours of the morning and for possession of marijuana.[19] He had been found to be playing the bongo drums too loudly whilst naked in his own home. McConaughey denied the drug charges (which were subsequently dropped),[20] but was charged with disturbing the peace. He pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $50. McConaughey has made light of this offense and has discussed the incident in length, including playing the bongos at MTV's TRL whilst promoting Sahara.
