Matthew McConaughey, known for his romantic comedies in the 2000s, won an Academy Award in 2014 for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’.
In a recent interview with Glen Powell for Interview magazine, McConaughey, 54, revealed how a hiatus from Hollywood helped him reinvent his career.
McConaughey explained that he “had to leave Hollywood for two years” after feeling typecast in romantic comedies.
“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,” he said. “But I wanted to try some other stuff.”
During his hiatus, McConaughey had long discussions with his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey, about finding a new vocation. He considered teaching high school, studying music, or working as 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,” he said. “And Hollywood’s like, ‘Well, f— you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later.'”
McConaughey first gained fame in 1993’s Dazed and Confused before becoming a rom-com staple in the early 2000s. He did not specify when his two-year hiatus took place, but he had no on-screen roles in 2007 and 2010. By 2013, he was starring in films like Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street, earning his Oscar in 2014.
“It was scary. The days are long — the sense of insignificance,” McConaughey told Powell. “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.”
In May, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that advice from McConaughey influenced his decision to move to Austin after living in Los Angeles for over 15 years. “He’s like, ‘Hollywood is the Matrix, man. You plug in and it’s all fake world,'” Powell recalled McConaughey telling him. “He’s like, ‘Then I go to Austin, and I unplug. It’s all real. Those are my friends, that’s my family, my actions matter there.'”
Matthew McConaughey almost walked away from acting during his two-year hiatus from Hollywood several years ago.
In his interview with Glen Powell for Interview Magazine, McConaughey, 54, opened up about why he needed to walk away from his acting career in order to reinvent himself in Hollywood after he felt like he was trapped in the romantic comedy genre.
“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,” McConaughey said.
Matthew McConaughey almost quit acting during a two-year hiatus from Hollywood.
“When I had my rom-com years, there was only so much bandwidth I could give to those,” McConaughey said in an interview with Glen Powell.
He continued, “But I wanted to try some other stuff.”
In his time away, McConaughey described his life as “scary” and noted that he had “long talks” with wife Camila Alvez McConaughey about “needing to find a new vocation.”
At that time, he recalled considering work as a teacher, studying to conduct music, or working as a wildlife guide.
The actor recalled telling his wife Camilla Alvez McConaughey that he was considering finding another vocation.
At the time, he considered teaching high school, studying to conduct music, or becoming 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— you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later,’” he said.
The “Fool’s Gold” star didn’t specify exactly when he took his break, but he went without any credits between 2007 and 2010 after he notably starred in several romantic comedies including “The Wedding Planner” alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2001 and 2003’s “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
In 2014, he earned an Oscar for his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club” — a drama film that tells the story of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS in the mid-1980s. McConaughey also starred in “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2013.
McConaughey would later star in 2013’s “Dallas Buyers Club” which he won an Oscar award for.
The actor gained notoriety after starring in 1993’s “Dazed and Confused.”
McConaughey first gained notoriety after his breakout role in 1993’s “Dazed and Confused.”
“It was scary,” McConaughey said about his time away from Hollywood.
“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.”
