The 1990s were a time for him to participate in productions of various genres; the work thanks to which he gained his first fame was “Student party” (1993) Richard Linklater. The next decade was marked by romantic comedies, with which he began to be identified both by the audience and the creators. Despite their popularity, the actor was not entirely satisfied with being seen only as a beautiful face.
In the early 2000s he appeared in, among others, “Say Yes” (2001) with Jennifer Lopez, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003) with Kate Hudson or “Love Made to Order” (2006) with Sarah Jessica Parker. After the film “Ghosts of My Exes” (2009), he began to wonder about the future of his career. He felt that he needed change, new challenges and crossing boundaries.
However, the film industry turned out to be not willing to entrust him with more “ambitious” and interesting characters. Disappointed by this, McConaughey considered quitting acting.
“I talked to my wife for a long time about the need to find a new profession. I said: ‘I think I’ll teach high school. I think I’ll study to become a conductor. I think I’ll become a wildlife guide’. Then I honestly thought: ‘I left Hollywood. I fell off my path’“- he confessed in an interview for “Interview” magazine.
In the interview, the actor did not hide the fact that he lived in fear at that time, and every day he felt a sense of senselessness.
Ultimately, McConaughey only decided to take a two-year break, and it apparently worked out for him. When he returned, he was better than ever.
He appeared on screens again only in 2011 in Brad Furman’s project “The Lincoln Lawyer”based on the novel by Michael Conolly’ego. He played the role of a lawyer who, after taking on a case of beating up an escort girl, must redefine his code of ethics.
From then on, the actor’s success continued. The following year he played the role of Mud in “The Fugitives” and starred in the production “Magic Mike”. 2013 was another breakthrough for him; he then had a chance to briefly show off in “The Wolf of Wall Street” Martin Scorsese, although this did not turn out to be the greatest success. The same year, a biographical film appeared on the screens “Welcome to the club”, in which he played a cowboy struggling with illness. For the portrayal of Ron Woodroof he received an Oscar for best actor, which established his position in the industry.
In 2014, he played the role of nihilistic policeman Rust Cohle’and in the first season of the series “Detective”earning an Emmy nomination, and also starred in the internationally acclaimed science-fiction hit – “Interstellar” Christopher Nolan.
Last time was McConaughey’and we could see it in production “Gentlemen” Guy’and Richie from 2019. After this performance, the actor only lent his voice to animated characters – he became the visionary Buster Moon in “Sing 2” (2021) and Elvis in the Netflix animated series “Agent Elvis” (2023).
It was recently announced that the star will play the main role in Andrew Patterson’s new film, “The Rivals of Amziah King”, described as a thriller set in rural Oklahoma. On the screen with him we will see, among others: Kurt Russell or Tony’Revolori’s ego. The actor is also taking part in the project “The Lost Bus” Paul Greengrass. Additionally, in some time we will see a series based on his close friendship with Woody Harrelson, entitled “Brother From Another Mother”. The production is carried out for AppleTV+.