| Human Profile | |
| Name: | Matthew David McConaughey |
| Birthday: | November 4, 1969 (age 56 years), Born in Uvalde, Texas |
| Height: | 6'0" (183 cm) |
| Education: | Longview High School (Diploma) University of Texas at Austin (BS), Radio-Television-Film |
| Subscribers: | 916K |
| Views: | 38,207,809 |
| YouTube Revenue: | $38.2K - $191K |
| Videos: | 152 |
| Channel Created: | April 2013 |
Overview
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor, bestselling author, and professor, known for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused, a career distinguished by early romantic comedy leads followed by a dramatic resurgence dubbed the “McConaissance” that earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club and critical acclaim for True Detective.
Latest News (Dec 28, 2025): Matthew McConaughey's 2011 film, *The Lincoln Lawyer*, is scheduled to leave Netflix on January 1, 2026, meaning viewers have a limited time to stream it before the end of the year.
Early Life and Education
Matthew David McConaughey was born on November 4, 1969, in Uvalde, Texas. His mother, Mary Kathleen “Kay” McCabe, was a kindergarten teacher and published author, and his father, James Donald McConaughey, ran an oil pipe supply business and had played college football. His parents had a volatile relationship, marrying each other three times after divorcing twice. McConaughey is the youngest of three sons; his older brother, Michael, nicknamed “Rooster,” is a self-made millionaire, and his other brother, Patrick, was adopted.
Raised in Longview, Texas, McConaughey attended Longview High School. As a teenager, he spent a year in Warnervale, New South Wales, Australia, as part of an exchange program. Initially intending to study law, he enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. However, he later switched his major to film, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film.
Career Beginnings
While still a student, McConaughey began his acting career by appearing in television commercials. His first significant film role came after a chance meeting with casting director Don Phillips in an Austin bar. This encounter led to him being cast in Richard Linklater’s 1993 coming-of-age film, Dazed and Confused. His portrayal of the older, laid-back David Wooderson was initially a small part, but it was expanded during filming, and the role became a breakout performance for the actor. Following this, he took on supporting roles in films such as Angels in the Outfield (1994) and Boys on the Side (1995).
His first leading role came in 1996 when he was cast as lawyer Jake Brigance in the legal drama A Time to Kill, based on the John Grisham novel. This role solidified his status as a prominent Hollywood actor. The following year, he starred opposite Jodie Foster in the science fiction film Contact (1997) and in Steven Spielberg’s historical drama Amistad (1997). He also reunited with director Richard Linklater for the 1998 film The Newton Boys.
Rise as a Leading Man
By the early 2000s, Matthew David McConaughey had become widely recognized for his roles in romantic comedies. He starred in several successful films within the genre, including The Wedding Planner (2001) with Jennifer Lopez and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) alongside Kate Hudson. Other notable romantic comedies from this period include Failure to Launch (2006), Fool’s Gold (2008), and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). During this time, in 2005, People magazine named him “Sexiest Man Alive”.
Following a two-year break from film acting, McConaughey shifted his focus to more dramatic and complex roles, a period that was termed the “McConaissance” by the media. This career reinvention began with the 2011 legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer. He continued to receive critical acclaim for his work in films like Bernie (2011), Killer Joe (2011), Magic Mike (2012), and Mud (2012).
Major Acclaim and Recent Work
The pinnacle of Matthew David McConaughey’s career resurgence came with his role in the 2013 biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club. His portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a man diagnosed with AIDS who fights for treatment, earned him numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He followed this with a supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
In 2014, McConaughey starred alongside Woody Harrelson in the first season of the HBO crime drama series True Detective. His performance as the philosophical detective Rust Cohle was widely praised and earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. That same year, he starred in the science fiction film Interstellar. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014. In addition to his acting, McConaughey serves as a professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication. He remains active in film and television, with a variety of projects. He also maintains a YouTube channel where he shares personal philosophies and life approaches.
Personal Life
Matthew David McConaughey met Brazilian-American model and designer Camila Alves in 2006. The couple married in a private ceremony in Austin, Texas, on June 9, 2012. They have three children together: two sons and a daughter. A Christian, McConaughey has spoken publicly about his faith. He and his wife founded the just keep livin Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering high school students by providing them with the tools to lead active lives and make healthy choices. He is also the author of the bestselling memoir Greenlights, published in 2020.