Matthew McConaughey has explained his supposed career turnaround - branded the McConaissance - which saw him ditch the romantic comedies for more serious drama directed by esteemed filmmakers.
Having built up an impressive career for himself with appearances in Nineties films including Dazed and Confused, Lone Star and Contact, the American actor went through a phase of starring in rom-coms in the turn of the 00s - The Wedding Planner, Failure to Launch, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past included - before returning to the acclaimed dramas.
Reflecting upon the media's infatuation with the supposed turnaround, McConaughey told Cigar Aficionado: “That whole thing was much less of a 180 for myself than people seemed to think. There was this narrative of ‘then’ and ‘now’. I didn’t get a new acting coach or take a new class. I just said, ‘Fuck the bucks - I’m going for the experience’ in the things I was choosing.”
He continued: “I quit trying to project how something would be received and decided to just be an actor for hire again. I love being an actor and going as deep as you can in a role, to really commit to the craft. I put my head down and went after roles that scared me.”
McConaughey went on to work on acclaimed films including The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, Mud, Interstellar, Magic Mike and Dallas Buyers Club for which he won a Best Actor Oscar.
The actor is due a hit with recent releases including Gold and Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower bombing at the box office. His next film will be White Boy Rick, the latest drama from '71 director Yann Demange.
