Celebrating Matthew McConaughey

CAIRO – 4 November 2017: November 4, 1969 is the day acclaimed Hollywood hunk Matthew McConaughey was born. Able to sift from romantic comedies like “Failure to Launch” to starring in one of his best performances as a bleak, joyless and philosophical detective in the hit TV series “True Detective”, McConaughey puts nothing but passion into his diverse roles.

McConaughey hails from Uvalde, Texas and originally planned to become a lawyer before reading the book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino, which he credits as having changed his life and led him to pursue acting. After his big break came in the form of 1993’s “Dazed and Confused”, McConaughey had taken his first steps towards a long and rich career in film.

Egypt Today takes a look at some of McConaughey’s all-time best movies:

“Dazed and Confused” (1993) – Richard Linklater

This is the film that started it all for McConaughey. Set in 1976 in Texas, this comedy follows a group of high school students on their last day of school who aim to live it up, regardless of the consequences. McConaughey plays David Wooderson, a 20-year-old stoner who hangs around high schools.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” (2011) – Brad Furman

Marking a new start for McConaughey as a more serious actor after his stint with romantic comedies, “The Lincoln Lawyer” features him as Lawyer Mick Haller, who uncovers a connection in his current case. He’s tasked to defend a wealthy man accused of assaulting a prostitute, with an old case from the past that continues to haunt him.

“Magic Mike” (2012) – Steven Soderbergh

This raunchy comedy drama features Channing Tatum as Mike Lane, AKA “Magic Mike”, a male stripper at a club run by McConaughey’s character, Dallas, a former male stripper who aims at owning an entire empire of strip clubs. When Lane takes in a young male stripper under his wing, their lives and careers grow all the more complicated.

“Mud” (2012) – Jeff Nichols

In this drama, McConaughey is “Mud”, a runaway fugitive living near a river who one day encounters two young boys. The boys strike a pact with Mud to help him hide from his pursuers while also reuniting him with his estranged girlfriend, Juniper, played by Reese Witherspoon.

“Dallas Buyers Club” (2013) – Jean-Marc Vallée

This biographic drama earned McConaughey his first Oscar award for his performance as Ron Woodroof, a hateful and homophobic Texan who is shocked to discover he is diagnosed with HIV. This experience forces a change in him and leads to Woodroof heading to Mexico to track down an experimental drug. He soon opens the Dallas Buyers Club, which allows members to acquire the drugs after buying membership, providing treatment to those who have been failed by the system.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) – Martin Scorsese

This black comedy reveals what goes on behind closed doors in Wall Street. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, the film follows the real life story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a successful businessman whose high life came crashing down after his drug addiction and frauds finally catch up with him. McConaughey plays Mark Hanna, who helps introduce Belfort to cocaine.

“Interstellar” (2014) – Christopher Nolan

In this sci-fi drama, McConaughey plays astronaut Joseph Cooper, a scientist who is tasked by NASA to go on a daring mission through an interstellar wormhole to find a habitable new world, which could prove to be mankind’s only hope after the Earth is plunged into a series of droughts that threaten to end humanity.