Matthew McConaughey reflects on finding ‘truth’ of his character as he returns to acting after 6 years
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Matthew McConaughey has opened up about his comeback to the big screen after years.
The 55-year-old actor spoke about his return to films after a hiatus of six years in an interview on Sunday, March 9.
Matthew McConaughey says acting is his 'singular focus'
Matthew McConaughey's latest movie, 'The Rivals of Amziah King', premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas, on March 10.
The actor shared that working on the new movie reminded him of his passion for acting. “I remembered a couple of things,” McConaughey told Variety. "One, how much I truly enjoy performing," he quickly added.
"Two, I remembered, 'Hey, McConaughey, you’re pretty damn good at this.' And three, I remembered that acting is a vacation for me. And what I mean by vacation is that when I’m performing, it’s my singular focus," the 'Interstellar' star said.
Matthew McConaughey admits to feeling nervous on set
Matthew McConaughey credited his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey, for supporting his return to films.
“When I walk out the door in the morning, my wife says, ‘Go kick some a**. I got the kiddos. We’re good.’ That’s vacation,” McConaughey said.
“Because I’m not multitasking. I’m not compartmentalizing. I’m fully focused on finding the truth of my character," he added.
During his first day on set for 'The Rivals of Amziah King', McConaughey admitted to feeling anxious about acting again after the long break of six years.
He asked the cast and crew, "Is anybody else nervous except for me?"
When the group laughed along, he added, "Alright, alright, alright, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one," McConaughey said.
Matthew McConaughey reflects on his time away from acting
Matthew McConaughey took a break from live-action films after starring in 'The Gentlemen' in 2019.
During this period, he wrote a memoir, 'Greenlights', in 2021, voiced characters in films like 'Sing 2', and appeared in Zach Bryan’s 2024 music video for 'Nine Ball'.
The actor also spent time with his family and kept a low profile while away from Hollywood.
“I needed to write my own story, direct my own story on the page,” McConaughey said of his time away from acting.
Set in rural Oklahoma, 'The Rivals of Amziah King' follows Amziah King, a honey maker and bluegrass musician, as he navigates the ruthless honey industry and contends with rivals. McConaughey plays the title role. The film also stars newcomer Angelina LookingGlass and Primetime Emmy-nominated actor Kurt Russell.
