Matt Green - Matthew McConaughey: Celebrity Biographies

Matthew McConaughey Celebrity Books

Matt Green

Published by Matt Green atSmashwords

Copyright 2016 MattGreen

Smashwords Edition LicenseNotes

This e-book cannot bere-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to sharethis book with another person, please purchase an additional copyfor each person. If you are reading this e-book and you did notpurchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then pleasepurchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting thehard work of the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Early Life

1991 - 2000

2001 - 2010

2011 - Present

Awards andNominations

Personal Life

MatthewMcConaughey

Early Life

Matthew David McConaugheywas born November 4, 1969 in Uvalde, Texas to Mary Kathleen (neeMcCabe) and James Donald McConaughey. He was the last of three sonsfor the couple, joining brothers Michael, known as Rooster, andPat. Mary Kathleen is an actress, appearing in 2011s Bernie, and aformer substitute kindergarten teacher. James was a former memberof the Houston Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats college footballteams. He was signed in the twenty seventh round of the 1953National Football League draft by the Green Bay Packers, but wascut from the team before the official start of theseason.

Originally from Louisiana,James owned a gas station and ran a pipe supply company whileworking to support his family in Texas. Mary and James were marriedoff and on from July 28, 1968 until his death in 1992. Throughoutthe course of their relationship Mary and James would divorce twiceand remarry three times. It was during their third marriage thatthe couple welcomed their youngest son, though neither of them washappy about the pregnancy at the time. They believed that withalready having their two sons, another child would put a financialburden on the family.

The family moved toLongview, Texas in 1980 and McConaughey would eventually graduatefrom Longview High School. While his father wanted him to go intothe family business alongside his older brothers, McConaughey had adifferent idea about where to take his life. During his senior yearof school he spent a year in Warnervale, New South Wales, Australiaas a high school exchange student. When he returned home andgraduated from high school, he attended the University of Texas atAustin and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He graduated in1993 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Radio, Television, andFilm.

Though he had planned toattend law school at Southern Methodist University, when herealized the financial burden of getting such an expensive degree,McConaughey changed his mind and decided to try his hand at acting.Another inspiration to leave his law aspirations and go into actingwas a chance encounter with OgMandinos books The Greatest Salesmanin the World. The book places emphasis on doing things you want todo now, instead of waiting for a perfect time.

Though he originally wantedto go into directing, McConaughey began to enjoy acting more,though he did make his directorial debut in the short film ChicanoChariots the year before graduation. McConaugheys real break camefrom a chance meeting in a hotel bar with producer Don Phillips whothen introduced him to director Richard Linklater who was currentlycasting for his next project, the film Dazed andConfused.

1991 - 2000

McConaugheys first role ina major motion picture was in 1993s My Boyfriends Back starringAndrew Lowery and Traci Lind, as Guy #2. The film, directed by BobBalaban, tells the story of a teenager who comes back from the deadto take a girl he likes on a date. McConaughey only played a smallrole, alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Matthew Fox, both ofwhom went on to successful acting careers while most of the otheractors in the film faded into obscurity. The film received negativereviews when it premiered August 6, 1993.

Following his bit part inMy Boyfriends Back, McConaughey went on to play the supportingrole of David Wooderson in the cult classic Dazed and Confused.Directed by David Linklater, and premiered on September 24, 1993.The film featured a bevy of young Hollywood stars that have gone onto very successful careers including Jason London, Ben Affleck,Mila Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, JoeyLauren Adams, Nicky Katt, and Rory Cochrane.

The plot centers around thelast day of school at a Texas high school, where the graduatingseniors are hazing the incoming freshman class, and follows severalsocial groups throughout the afternoon and evening until they allconverge at a party in the forest outside of town. David Woodersonis in his early twenties, but still hangs around with his highschool aged friends and goes to high school parties. Wooderson,along with his friend Randall Pink Floyd, played by Jason London,take high school freshman Mitch Kramer under their wings and showhim what the school social scene is all about. The film ends withWooderson and his friends smoking marijuana on the fifty yard lineof the local high school football stadium and then deciding to goon a road trip to get Aerosmith tickets.

The film has receivedcritical acclaim since its debut. Director Quentin Tarantino namedit one of the ten greatest films of all time in the 2002 Sight andSound Poll. The film was ranked seventeenth in 2003 onEntertainment Weeklys Top 50 Cult Films and third on themagazines list of the 50 Best High School Movies. EntertainmentWeekly also ranked the film at tenth for their Funniest Movies ofthe Past 25 Years, and sixth on their The Cult 25: The EssentialLeft-Field Movie Hits since 83. The character of David Woodersonwas also honored by the American Film Institute, which namedWoodersons line Thats what I like about these high school girls,man. I keep getting older, they stay the same age. to the listAFIs 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes list. Though the film onlygrossed just over nine hundred thousand dollars its openingweekend, it would go on to earn seven and a half million dollars inNorth America. It was applauded by critics, who loved the storyalong with the young cast.

Linklater originally didnot want to cast McConaughey as Wooderson, feeling that he was tooattractive to be able to be believable in the role of an older manhitting on teenage girls. To gain the role, McConaughey grew hishair out and grew a mustache to obscure his handsome features. Therole of Wooderson initially included just a few lines over threescenes in the film. Linklater gave permission of McConaughey toexpand the role and adlib over three hundred additional lines inthe film, promoting him to one of the main and most iconiccharacters. Dazed and Confused also gave McConaughey thecatchphrase Alright, alright, alright! which has since beenfeatured as a line in many subsequent roles.

In the 1994 film, Angels inthe Outfield, McConaugheys role was of Major League baseballplayer Ben Williams, who plays for the horrible California Angels.After a young boys father tells him that they will be a familyagain when the Angels win the pennant, the boy makes a wish thatthey will. The following day, he and a friend attend a game wherethey see actual angels helping the team win. The angels made itpossible for the team win the division title, making way for themto go on to the play-offs.

McConaugheys role is verysmall as one of the teams outfielders and was not billed amongstthe top cast. Released on July 15, 1994, and directed by WilliamDear, the film went on to make over fifty million dollars in theNorth American box office. Though it made a strong opening atnumber four, the film was hated by critics, but it was able tospawn two direct to video sequels.

His 1994 follow-up film wasTexas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, in the role of VilmerSlaughter. Directed by Kim Henkel and had an original release onOctober 7, 1994 before it was remastered and re-released on August29, 1997. Co-starring Renee Zellweger, the film was re-releasedwhen both McConaughey and Zellweger became international stars andhousehold names.