Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor born in 1969. After appearing in small roles in films in the early 1990s, he rose to fame by starring in successful productions such as A Time to Kill and U-571. He later became widely known for his roles in numerous successful romantic comedies, including The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and Failure to Launch (2006).

Matthew David McConaughey was born on November 4, 1969, in Uvalde, Texas, as the youngest of three brothers. Of Scottish-Irish descent, McConaughey was raised with conservative Christian values. His father, James Donald McConaughey, operated a gas station, worked as a truck driver, and was also a former professional football player for the Green Bay Packers. His mother, Mary Kathlene Kay McCabe, was a substitute school teacher. McConaughey described his parents’ repeated divorces and remarriages as part of a “loving but unstable relationship.”

In 1980, McConaughey moved to Longview, Texas. After graduating from Longview High School in 1988, he spent one year living in Australia, earning his living by washing dishes. Encouraged by his academic success, he decided to pursue higher education. Initially aiming to become a lawyer, he enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. After reading Og Mandino’s book The Greatest Salesman in the World, he changed his direction and decided to pursue cinema instead. He began studying film directing and graduated in 1993. During his time at the university, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Matthew McConaughey began his career in 1991 by acting in student films and television commercials. In 1992, he directed a short film titled Chicano Chariots. Through producer Don Phillips, whom he met at a bar near the University of Texas, he landed his first feature film role in Dazed and Confused (1993). The film’s director, Richard Linklater, initially felt McConaughey was too handsome to play a carefree high school character, but after the actor changed his appearance, he was cast. Although the role was originally written for only three scenes, McConaughey’s performance expanded significantly, giving him over 300 lines of dialogue.

In 1994, McConaughey starred as a sadistic killer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation alongside Renée Zellweger. After appearing in smaller roles in Angels in the Outfield, Boys on the Side, and the TV series Unsolved Mysteries, he achieved his major breakthrough with his role as attorney Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill (1996), adapted from the novel by John Grisham. The same year, he also appeared in Lone Star. For his performance in A Time to Kill, he won the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in 1997 and received two nominations at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.

As his popularity grew, McConaughey starred in leading roles in films such as Contact (1997), Amistad (1997), The Newton Boys (1998), EDtv (1999), and U-571 (2000). In 1998, he also acted in a 20-minute film he wrote and directed titled The Rebel. In the early 2000s, he became a frequent presence in box-office hit romantic comedies, including The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. During this period, he also appeared in lower-budget films such as Tiptoes, as well as Two for the Money with Al Pacino and Frailty with Bill Paxton. One of his most unusual roles was as dragon hunter Denton Van Zan in Reign of Fire (2002).

McConaughey later starred alongside Penelope Cruz and Steve Zahn in the $130 million production Sahara (2005). Prior to the film’s release, he promoted it by sailing down the Amazon River and trekking in Mali, echoing his adventurous publicity strategies from the late 1990s. In 2005, People magazine named him the “Sexiest Man Alive.” In 2006, his romantic comedy Failure to Launch, co-starring Sarah Jessica Parker, achieved significant box-office success.

On October 25, 1999, McConaughey was arrested at his Texas home for marijuana possession and resisting arrest. Police arrived at 2:37 a.m. following a neighbor’s complaint about loud music. According to police reports, McConaughey was playing bongos and dancing naked with his Dazed and Confused co-star Cole Hauser. While the bongo-related charge was dropped, he was fined $50 for disturbing the peace.

McConaughey also became known for unusual encounters involving animals. In 2006, he rescued a cat in California that two teenagers were attempting to set on fire with hair spray. In 2005, he scared away a wolf that was frightening a mother and child in a Los Angeles park. His involvement in animal rescue efforts following Hurricane Katrina was even featured on Oprah Winfrey’s television program.

A passionate supporter of the University of Texas football team, McConaughey is frequently seen at Longhorns games. In addition to his home in Austin, he owns a 1,600-acre ranch in Texas. He has previously been romantically linked to celebrities such as Sandra Bullock and Janet Jackson. He was in a 2.5-year relationship with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, which ended in April 2006.

Matthew McConaughey enjoys running, surfing, swimming, and cycling. A documentary-style blog and photo series titled McConaughey’s Lost Weekend, which chronicled a three-day party in Costa Rica, concluded in June 2006 and showcased his adventurous lifestyle.

McConaughey and Brazilian supermodel Camila Alves welcomed their son, Levi Alves McConaughey, on July 7, 2008, in Los Angeles. The couple married on June 9, 2012, and they have three children together.

Films and TV Series :

2020 – The Gentlemen (Mickey Pearson) (Feature Film)
2019 – The Beach Bum (Moondog) (Feature Film)
2019 – Serenity (Baker Dill) (Feature Film)
2018 – White Boy Rick (Richard Wershe Sr.) (Feature Film)
2017 – The Dark Tower (Walter) (Feature Film)
2016 – Free State of Jones (Newton Knight) (Feature Film)
2016 – Gold (Kenny Wells) (Feature Film)
2014 – Interstellar (Cooper) (Feature Film)
2014 – True Detective (Rustin “Rust” Cohle) (TV Series)
2013 – The Wolf of Wall Street (Mark Hanna) (Feature Film)
2013 – Dallas Buyers Club (Ron Woodroof) (Feature Film)
2011 – Killer Joe (Joe Cooper) (Feature Film)
2011 – The Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller) (Feature Film)
2011 – Bernie (Danny Buck Davidson) (Feature Film)
2010–2012 – Eastbound & Down (Roy McDaniel) (TV Series)
2009 – Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Connor Mead) (Feature Film)
2008 – Tropic Thunder (Rick Peck) (Feature Film)
2008 – Surfer, Dude (Steve Addington) (Feature Film)
2008 – Fool’s Gold (Ben “Finn” Finnegan) (Feature Film)
2006 – We Are Marshall (Jack Lengyel) (Feature Film)
2006 – Failure to Launch (Tripp) (Feature Film)
2005 – Sahara (Dirk Pitt) (Feature Film)
2005 – Two for the Money (Brandon Lang) (Feature Film)
2004 – Paparazzi (Himself) (Feature Film)
2003 – Freedom: A History of Us (Andrew Johnson) (TV Series)
2003 – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Benjamin “Ben” Barry) (Feature Film)
2002 – Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (Troy) (Feature Film)
2002 – Frailty (Adam Meiks) (Feature Film)
2002 – Reign of Fire (Denton Van Zan) (Feature Film)
2001 – The Wedding Planner (Steve “Eddie” Edison) (Feature Film)
2000 – U-571 (Lt. Andrew Tyler) (Feature Film)
2000 – Sex and the City (Himself) (TV Series)
1999 – King of the Hill (Rad Thibodeaux – voice) (TV Series)
1999 – EDtv (Ed “Eddie” Pekurny) (Feature Film)
1998 – The Newton Boys (Willis Newton) (Feature Film)
1997 – Contact (Palmer Joss) (Feature Film)
1997 – Amistad (Baldwin) (Feature Film)
1996 – Scorpion Spring (El Rojo) (Feature Film)
1996 – A Time to Kill (Jake Tyler Brigance) (Feature Film)
1996 – Lone Star (Buddy Deeds) (Feature Film)
1996 – Larger Than Life (Tip Tucker) (Feature Film)
1996 – Glory Daze (Rental Truck Guy) (Feature Film)
1995 – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (Vilmer) (Feature Film)
1995 – Boys on the Side (Officer Abe Lincoln) (Feature Film)
1994 – Angels in the Outfield (Ben Williams) (Feature Film)
1993 – Dazed and Confused (David Wooderson) (Feature Film)
1993 – My Boyfriend’s Back (Teenage Moviegoer) (Feature Film)
1992 – Unsolved Mysteries (Larry Dickens) (TV Series)

Source: Biyografiler.com