Born:
November 04, 1969
in
Texas
Best Known For:
Appearing shirtless in Hollywood blockbusters.
Early-life:
Matthew David McConaughey was born in Texas on November 4, 1969, and is the youngest of three brothers. His teacher mother and oil-pipe salesman father had something of a volatile relationship - during their 39 years together, they divorced and remarried each other several times. Matthew's original ambition was to be a lawyer, and after graduating from high school, he spent a year in Australia as an exchange student. However, while at university, he developed a passion for acting, and decided to study film.
Career:
During the early 1990s, McConaughey combined his studies with appearances in adverts, before winning an eye-catching part in the cult movie Dazed and Confused. He made an even bigger splash in 1996, when he won the starring role in the John Grisham adaptation A Time to Kill, which was a major hit worldwide. He's been a popular Hollywood leading man ever since, and his movie credits include Amistad, EDtv, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sahara, Failure to Launch, Tropic Thunder, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. In more recent years McConaughey has proved his versatility with roles in more challenging movies, Magic Mike, Bernie, The Dallas Buyers Club, for which he won an Oscar, and Interstellar. He also starred in the first season of acclaimed TV series True Detective.
Quote:
"My worst quality is selfishness, although everyone is guilty of that to an extent. Everyone should be, I think - you need to respect yourself."
Trivia:
He is also behind the Just Keep Livin Foundation, and is an animal-lover - he rescued several pets stranded by Hurricane Katrina.