Matthew McConaughey’s childhood was like many other kids in America. He had to deal with the pains of growing up and had a strict father who disciplined him whenever he did something wrong.
Despite everything he and his dad went through, Matthew wanted nothing more than to please him. He had a fear of letting his dad down, and this fear helps him become the man he aspires to be.
“He’s my hero,” he once admitted. However, the admiration the actor has for his dad also comes with some pointers on what he doesn’t want to be. Matthew’s parents often fought when he was younger, and it would get violent.
His parents, Mary Kathlene McCabe and Jim McConaughey, were married thrice and divorced twice. When it comes to his own marriage to Camila Alves, he doesn’t plan on following the same path as his parents once did when it came to the way they handled their marriage.
The actor noted how his parents were violent at times and likened it to “the pacific ocean in a storm,” he described. However, one thing he doesn’t deny is the amount of love he and his brothers received growing up despite their chaotic household.
Whenever their parents scolded one of the McConaughey brothers, they always made sure not to end the day on a bad note. The difficult moments were always overpowered by the good times, especially the love and the humanity that their parents showed them.
After punishing one of their children, the disciplinarian parents would always try to make it up to them. They’d go to their favorite diner and have dinner together, making sure nobody went to bed angry.
Most of Matthew’s time was spent with his mother, making him a self-proclaimed mama’s boy. His dad worked hard to make a living around town, so he wasn’t as present in Matthew’s life as compared to his brothers.
His brothers saw his dad more often on a daily basis which meant he was able to do father-and-son stuff like coach them and take them places. Matthew didn’t have this growing up, but that didn’t mean his father wasn’t a stable presence in his growing-up years.
Meanwhile, Matthew and his wife Camila have chosen a different approach to marriage. The actor rarely raises his voice at his wife – he doesn’t even remember the last time he did!
They’ve also chosen a more gentle approach to parenting, where they have open conversations with their kids about discipline. This is something Matthew could only imagine because he grew up in a “because I said so” environment with his own parents.
He and Camila also choose to have a more stable, peaceful kind of love, growing together instead of growing apart like his parents. Growing up, Matthew didn’t know about his parents’ divorces.
During one divorce, everyone thought his mom was on an extended vacation to Florida until she later revealed they were actually divorced. During that “extended vacation,” she met Woody Harrelson’s dad.
Matthew McConaughey rose to fame in the 1990s on the cult classic “Dazed and Confused.” The movie catapulted him to stardom, and for eight consecutive years, he had successful romantic-comedy movies under his belt.
Personally, these romantic comedies weren’t fulfilling for him. So, he took a hiatus for two years before coming back to star on hits that he resonated with. From HBO’s “True Detective,” to “The Wolf of Wall Street,” to “Dallas Buyers Club,” he took on artistic roles that showcased his stellar acting prowess.
Jim McConaughey’s Sudden Death
When Matthew and his brothers were younger, their father would tell them how he’d one day die. In true Jim McConaughey fashion, it somehow became a reality for him.
Jim passed away while he was in bed with his wife. Matthew got the dreaded call from his mom, and he froze. Speaking about the moment he found out, he said:
“My knees buckled. I couldn’t believe it. He was my dad. Nobody or nothing could kill him. Except for mom. He’d always told me and my brothers, ‘Boys, when I go, I’m gonna be makin’ love to your mother.’”
Referencing his memoir “Greenlights,” Matthew said that Jim’s death was a “red light,” and it took him a while to move on. When he began to cope, however, many other “green lights” entered his life.
Matthew made sure to be available to his mom after his dad passed away. He moved his family to Austin, Texas, so that they could be closer to her, and eventually, she moved in with them.
While Matthew and his wife have taken primary responsibility for his mom Kay’s everyday life, his two brothers make sure to visit her as often as possible. Kay has adjusted to life with Matthew and his family and is enjoying herself quite a lot.
When it comes to Camila adjusting to life with Kay, it’s been quite an uncomplicated adjustment. Camila tries to engage her as much as possible, making her join in on the kitchen and helping her around the house.
With Kay already 91 years old, she wants nothing more than to be close to the people who matter to her most – her family. During her 90th birthday, her only wish was to be with her three sons. Matthew made sure that happened, and they rang in her birthday with a family celebration.
Matthew McConaughey and His Relation to Woody Harrelson
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson first met in the late 1990s on “EDtv.” They were doing a wardrobe test, and Matthew remembers his co-star showing up in a full bike outfit.
Matthew revealed that one time, while Matthew was in Greece with his family and with Harrelson, his mom said: “Woody, I knew your dad.”
After the movie, they worked together on HBO’s “True Detective” and remained good friends through the years. However, a revelation by Matthew’s mom might change their relationship from good friends to brothers.
While guesting on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast, Matthew revealed that one time, while Matthew was in Greece with his family and with Harrelson, his mom said: “Woody, I knew your dad.”
The way his mom put an emphasis on the word “knew” made him curious about how exactly she and Harrelson’s dad were connected. What they discovered blew their mind.
Through the years, McConaughey and Harrelson were always told they looked alike. They’ve been mistaken for one another multiple times, and so they wondered if there was any possibility they were related.
Even their families are already interconnected. They have a “bromance” where Harrelson’s kids call Matthew “Uncle Matthew,” and Matthew’s kids call Harrelson “Uncle Woody.”
McConaughey and Harrelson discovered that during Kay’s second divorce from Jim, Harrelson’s dad was on furlough. They might have connected somewhere in west Texas, where they could have had a moment.
The interesting story makes a great show, and that’s exactly what’s coming for fans of both actors. They’re set to star on an Apple TV+ comedy show titled “Brother from Another Mother,” where they play fictional versions of themselves living together in Texas.
While at first glance there is no harm in taking a DNA test to find out once and for all if they’re brothers, it’s not an easy decision to make for McConaughey, who might have to deal with the discovery of his dad not actually being his biological father.
“It’s a little harder for me because he’s asking me to take a chance to go, ‘Wait a minute, you’re trying to tell me my dad may not be my dad after 53 years of believing that?’” he said.
Despite many people urging him to take the test, McConaughey hasn’t made a final decision. Instead, he’s taking things one day at a time and working on his projects.
Apart from Matthew’s acting career, his main priority is raising his children well alongside his wife Camila. They recently volunteered for a good cause in France, where they cooked, cleaned, and served with their proud mom.