Matthew McConaughey
As his fiftieth birthday approached, American actor and producer Matthew McConaughey decided it was time to share stories about his life, gleaning material from the journals he's been keeping for more than three decades. McConaughey is an optimist whose philosophy is to maneuver around obstacles and look for 'greenlights' - opportunities to get ahead. Matthew's memoir is fun and entertaining.....and liberally sprinkled with bumper sticker phrases he's collected over the years.
I listened to the audiobook, and Matthew is a cheerful narrator who giggles and laughs when he's amused by some aspect of his tale.
McConaughey, the youngest of three sons, grew up in Uvalde, Texas with parents who were always fighting and making up.
Young Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey's father Jim
Matthew McConaughey with his parents Kay and Jim
Matthew McConaughey with his mother Kay
Matthew McConaughey's brother Mike (aka Rooster)
Matthew is a self-proclaimed mama's boy who loved and respected his ornery father, a tough guy who saw fist fights as a rite of passage. Matthew's dad - who was a hustler himself - taught his boys to fess up if they were caught doing wrong, but ONLY if they were caught. During one summer break, young Matthew made nightly forays into a lumber yard to steal wooden planks and gun nails for a thirteen story tree house. Matthew wasn't caught then, but a subsequent pizza heist, reported by a waitress, got him smacked across the face when he denied it to his pop.
Matthew McConaughey as a youth
Matthew did well in high school, where he played sports, got straight As, dated pretty girls, and was voted most handsome.
Matthew McConaughey was voted most handsome in high school
After graduation, Matthew put off college for a year to be an exchange student in Australia. There, Matthew was placed with an 'insane' family as a sort of joke (those Aussies have an odd sense of humor), and this section of the book is hilarious.
Later, McConaughey ditched regular college to go to film school, and hustled hard to get into show business. The actor's first words on his first film - Dazed and Confused - were 'Alright Alright Alright', a phrase that entered the zeitgeist and will always be associated with Matthew.
The phrase Alright Alright Alright will forever be associated with Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey went on to have success in romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, and more......and found it hard to break out of this genre for more challenging roles.
Matthew held out, though, and eventually starred in movies like The Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, and Dallas Buyers Club - for which he lost about 50 pounds to play an AIDS sufferer. Matthew won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club in 2014.
McConaughey's filmography is extensive, and his foray into television also went well, with HBO's True Detective.
McConaughey is a restless soul, and between making movies he toured Europe on a motorcycle, floated down the Amazon River, and visited parts of Africa. In Africa, Matthew was lured into a knockdown, drag out wrestling match with a village fighting champion, and - against all odds - Matthew prevailed. After that, as a sign of respect, Matthew's opponent personally walked him (holding hands) to the next village 15 miles away.
McConaughey has lots of humorous anecdotes about himself and his family, such as the night his brother was rousted out of bed by their dad to win a urinating contest (his brother peed highest); the family's lawsuit against a face cream company for giving Matthew acne and scarring him psychologically (the family lost when Matthew's 'most handsome' status came to light); Matthew's mom telling him (for years) that he won the Little Mr. Texas contest when he was really runner up. When Matthew discovered the truth, his mom said the winner's rich family cheated by buying him a new suit; Matthew getting arrested for excessive noise when he was playing the bongos naked; and more.
Matthew McConaughey's mom told him he won the Little Mr. Texas contest
One very funny tale is about Matthew, his dog Ms. Hud, and his brother Patrick going to a golf resort. When Matthew was told 'no dogs allowed', he promptly said Ms. Hud was Patrick's seeing eye dog. Later, when Patrick was caught 'seeing' perfectly well on the golf course, he claimed to have 'night blindness.'
Matthew McConaughey and his dog Ms. Hud
Matthew had lots of fun dating, drinking, gambling, touring, and so on before he decided it was time to settle down. Matthew met Camilla Alves in a California nightclub in 2006, and the couple have been together ever since. They now live in Austin, Texas with their three children.
Matthew McConaughey and Camilla Alves
Matthew McConaughey with Camilla Alves and their children
McConaughey doesn't gossip about celebrity acquaintances, women he's dated, or movie-making scuttlebutt - so readers looking for dirt will be disappointed. But folks wanting to know a bit more about Matthew himself will enjoy the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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