Matthew McConaughey is more than just “all right, all right, all right.” After all, this is a man who has written an entire book about his strong moral values. But did you know that the actor has three unique rules that he instills in his family? Yes, that is correct! And during his commencement speech at the University of Houston, McConaughey went into great detail about them. However, they may provide food for thought for all parents, students, and adults around the world…
Matthew McConaughey’s Three Odd Rules That He Insists Should Be Followed
A Different World
You might be wondering how your perception of the world compares to that of a Hollywood star. To begin with, your bank account is most likely not even close to being in the same league. Of course, this means your family won’t have access to the same luxuries and extravagances. But trust us when we say that you’ll want to follow McConaughey’s rules. Even if it’s just to hear how out of the ordinary they are!
A Different World
His Rules
Why? The 51-year-old Oscar winner has had an eventful life. He also has three children, Levi, 12, Vida, 10, and Livingston, eight years old. And, yes, having millions of dollars in the bank will aid in the practical raising of those children. However, that green will not protect the children’s hearts and minds. That’s where McConaughey’s rules really shine.
His Rules
Don’t Bow Your Head
Because it’s clear that McConaughey’s philosophies are the result of a lot of thought and hard-won experience. One of the difficulties his children face is being teased because of their famous parents. Rather than telling his children to ignore the taunts, McConaughey tells them, “Don’t bow your head.” And the reason for this is quite enlightening.
Don’t Bow Your Head
Unashamed
According to McConaughey, the children should be proud of their upbringing and should confront their critics. “Look up and go, ‘Yeah, we do actually live in a nice house. My dad works really hard to be as good as he can at his job,’” McConaughey said on The Oprah Conversations. As you can see, any advice he has to offer is well worth listening to!
Unashamed
Seizing Opportunities
After all, it’s not easy to carve a career as one of Hollywood’s top leading men over the course of 30 years. And McConaughey’s path to stardom has influenced the rules by which he lives. See, the former film student would seize opportunities as they arose and make the best of them. Even his big-screen debut happened by chance, and he learned a lot from the experience.
Seizing Opportunities
Hyatt Hotel Bar
McConaughey was a film student at his hometown’s University in Austin, Texas, at the time. He went to the Hyatt hotel bar one night because “the bartender there gave [him] free drinks because he was in [McConaughey’s] film-school class,” he told Newsweek. Then McConaughey met the casting director for the cult classic Dazed and Confused, and all of a sudden, the world was watching him.
Hyatt Hotel Bar
Acting Gigs
Of course, McConaughey hadn’t yet given us his three strange rules, but the world still loved him. In addition, the young actor landed regular acting roles for the next few years. However, the Texan’s star began to rise after his performance as a lawyer in Joel Schumacher’s gritty courtroom drama A Time To Kill.
Acting Gigs
Long Way From The Top
Along with co-stars Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock, McConaughey received his first top-billing role in that film. But the actor was still a long way from becoming one of Hollywood’s top leading men, a position he now holds. In fact, he made the switch as a result of a strict rule he set for himself. He’s undoubtedly instilled this in his children as well.
Long Way From The Top
His Roles
Throughout the 1990s, McConaughey starred in films such as Contact, Amistad, and The Newton Boys, among others. Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and Ron Howard were among the directors with whom he collaborated. Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, and Dennis Hopper were among his co-stars. But by the early 2000s, the mood had shifted, and McConaughey had as well.
His Roles
Renowned Leading Man
McConaughey had established himself as a leading man in rom-coms by the turn of the millennium. His biggest hits were Jennifer Lopez’s The Wedding Planner and Kate Hudson’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This was not a problem for the actor in and of itself. He was concerned, however, that Hollywood studios were beginning to regard him as a one-trick pony. As a result, he devised a rule.
Renowned Leading Man
Owning It
“I look up and notice I’m rom com, romantic comedy guy. And I’m owning this because I’m like, ‘You’re damn right, those rom coms are paying for the house that I’m renting on the beach that I’m going shirtless on.’ [I’m] guilty of that, you know?” In April 2021, McConaughey was recalled to Social Authentic Media. As a result, the actor was unconcerned. It was something else.
Owning It
Sticking To It
“I did notice, ‘Well, I wanna do some other things.’ ‘No, no, no, no, you can’t do that.’ And… I was like, ‘Oh, the industry and the public are nothing other than rom-com shirtless guy on the beach,’” McConaughey went on. Yes, the astute actor recognized that these were the roles that everyone expected him to play. He’d been cast in a certain way. As a result, he needed to establish a rule – and stick to it.
Sticking To It
Turning Down Roles
To change course, McConaughey knew he’d have to take a different approach. As a result, he began turning down all rom-com offers and returned to Texas. Hollywood, on the other hand, did everything it could to get McConaughey to break his self-imposed rule. In fact, the amount of money offered to the actor over the next two years was insane!
Turning Down Roles
Persistent
Yes, the actor was still being considered for roles in rom-coms. As a result, he had to turn down an $8 million role. He turned down the same job three times more, even after the studio increased the offer to $14.5 million! McConaughey knew that by turning down the big bucks and sticking to his rule, Hollywood would have to take him seriously.
Persistent
It Paid Off
McConaughey’s boldness paid off in the end. He went on to win a SAG award, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe for his role in Dallas Buyers Club in 2013. He was named one of Time magazine’s 100 “Most Influential People in the World” in 2014, in addition to his acting abilities. As a result, we pay attention when he speaks.
It Paid Off
Self-Discipline
After all, it takes a lot of guts to turn down such large sums of money, especially when he had no issues with rom-coms in the first place! How did he pull it off? Self-discipline was instilled in him by his parents at a young age, and it’s something he wants to pass on to his own children. He has the rules because of this.
Self Discipline
Strict Upbringing
To say McConaughey’s parents were strict with him would be putting it mildly. Some may consider his parents’ treatment of him to be abusive. In fact, some of the actor’s formative childhood stories were included in his memoir, Greenlights, and the recollections sparked some debate.
Strict Upbringing
Telling His Story
“I tell these stories that are bloody and ugly and sometimes violent,” McConaughey told Sunday TODAY host, Willie Geist. “And I think the reason I tell them is that those were times where the love that we had — that was never in question — was most challenged, but never had a chance of being beat.”
Telling His Story
Pulled Back
McConaughey recalled one such incident in a separate interview with Southern Living. “I answered to Matt one time when I was in kindergarten when my mom was my teacher. My buddy goes, ‘Hey, Matt! Wanna play on the monkey bars?’ and I said, ‘Yeah,’ and ran to the monkey bars… and next thing I know I feel a hand on my shoulder pull me back and body-slam me to the ground – and it was my mother.”
Pulled Back
‘Matt’
“She says to me, ‘What’s your name?’” he continued. “I said, ‘Matthew,’ and she goes, ‘Why did you answer to Matt?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, I knew he was talking to me!’ Then she said, ‘Don’t you ever answer to that again – I named you Matthew on purpose.’ So if anyone calls me Matt I know they either don’t know me well, or they’re jacking with me.”
‘Matt’
Dismissing What Others Say
McConaughey, on the other hand, was quick to dismiss any comments that his parents were abusive. He told Sunday TODAY, “Is it really fair for someone else to say that, if the person who is actually sane and very conscious of what happened says, ‘No, it wasn’t’?” That isn’t to say that the actor’s upbringing was without harshness.
Dismissing What Others Say
Not Denying It
“I’m not in denial of it,” McConaughey continued. “My mom and dad are not in denial of it. So I don’t know that it’s really fair for someone to tell someone else, ‘Oh, you’ve been victimized and you were abused,’ if that person goes, ‘No, no, I wasn’t. That isn’t how I took it.’” When it comes to his own family, however, McConaughey takes a different approach.
Not Denying It
A Different Approach
In fact, his parents’ treatment of him has a direct influence on how he interacts with his wife and children. So, rather than clenching his fists, the 51-year-old prefers to open up a dialogue with his own children. That’s where his three rules come in handy.
A Different Approach
How He Raise His Children
McConaughey told Sunday TODAY, “I don’t raise my children the same way my parents raised me.” He continued, “But I don’t dare judge how my parents did it, because every single time I got in trouble or got the belt or whatever, I earned it.” The actor then went on to explain his own approach to teaching his children right from wrong, which he claims is more understanding.
How He Raise His Children
Debating It Out
“I choose in our family to have much more dialogue than my parents choose or their parents [chose],” he said. “My wife and I do a little more explaining. ‘Okay, let’s debate this out.’ And even today, my mom goes, ‘Geez, y’all talk about it too much.’” McConaughey, on the other hand, revealed what he will not tolerate from his children.
Debating It Out
Respect And Trust
McConaughey told Oprah that he expects “respect and trust within the household.” Although they and their children have an open dialogue, the actor and his wife have banned certain words and phrases from their vocabulary. Three golden rules that the kids – and, presumably, everyone else – must follow are based on this approach.
Respect And Trust
What He Doesn’t Allow
McConaughey told Oprah, “We do not allow lying in the house.” He continued by sharing that in his house, “You cannot say the word[s] ‘I can’t,’ and you can’t use the word ‘hate.’” And if those rules are broken, there will be consequences. “Those three [things] will get you in big trouble in our house. Lying, saying, ‘I can’t,’ or saying ‘I hate.’”
What He Doesn’t Allow
Mindful Of Himself
His rules undoubtedly create a certain ambiance in the home. McConaughey, on the other hand, is equally conscious of how he conducts himself within the family unit. In November 2020, the actor discussed the topic with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield Norris in Red Table Talk on Facebook Watch.
Mindful Of Himself
An Alarm
“If I even raise my voice in our household, I immediately have an alarm that goes off that says, ‘All right, McConaughey, what did you not handle getting to this point that you had to raise your voice?’” the actor shared. McConaughey elaborated how he “start[s] doing inventory very quickly if [he] get[s] to where maybe [his] remark will be sharp.”
An Alarm
Why He Does It
Why? The star of Dallas Buyers Club wants his children to have a healthy balance of awareness of their privilege and humility and gratitude for it. He is teaching his children to be aware of their father’s position and that they are in a better position than most. He wants Levi, Vida, and Livingstone to have strong values as they grow up.
Why He Does It
Core Values
He shared, “We’re successful. We have a nice house. People notice us. Our kids get that.” He continued, “But we don’t want our children, nor do we allow ourselves, to go, ‘Oh, well that’s where my value lies – in the amount of money I have in my bank account or the fact that I’m famous.’” Solid, core values are what McConaughey wants for his children.
Core Values
What He Hopes For His Kids
“My hope is that they become autonomous, conscientious, competent young people in their life,” he said. And this is an attitude that appears to have spread throughout the community. As previously stated, the actor was a guest speaker at the University of Houston’s graduation ceremony in 2015.
What He Hopes For His Kids
Helping Graduates Find Their Way
McConaughey used his experience in his opening remarks to help 4,000 graduates find their way. Among the actor’s pearls of wisdom was some success advice. He suggested that it isn’t easy, that there is no other barometer than your own, and that once achieved, it still requires work.
Helping Graduates Find Their Way
A Positive Influence
The actor defines success as having a positive influence as a father and husband, staying physically fit, and attempting to foster good friendships and a fulfilling career. “I want to keep all five in healthy shape. If I don’t keep maintenance on them, one of them is going to get weak,” he told the graduates.
A Positive Influence
Enjoying The Process
“As soon as the work, the daily making of the movie, the doing of the deed, became the reward in itself for me I got more box office, more accolades, more respect than I ever had before,” he said. According to him, you should try and find joy in the process itself instead of the outcome.
Enjoying The Process
‘A Roof Is A Man-Made Thing’
McConaughey explained, “A roof is a man-made thing.” What exactly does that imply? The only limitations to success are the ones we impose on ourselves. That isn’t to say that things will always be easy: there will be setbacks and mistakes. But that’s fine. Don’t dwell on them, and don’t let them define you.
‘A Roof Is A Man-Made Thing’
His View On Expectation
McConaughey’s view on expectations was one of his main takeaways. “Life’s not easy. Life is not easy. It is not. Don’t try to make it that way. Life’s not fair, it never was, it isn’t now, and it won’t ever be,” he said. “Do not fall into the trap – the entitlement trap – of feeling like you’re a victim. You are not. Get over it, and get on with it.”
His View On Expectation
Setting Yourself Up
Setting yourself up for success is crucial, according to McConaughey. “Tee yourself up. Do yourself a favor. Make the choices, the purchase today that pays you back tomorrow,” he said. It was an appropriate conclusion. After all, it was thanks to this approach that the actor was able to move on from the rom-com phase of his career.
Setting Yourself Up
Learning Kindness
The actor told Oprah that his children have also learned kindness from his rules. And if they continue to follow their father’s advice, they’ll be “all right, all right, all right,” as his Dazed and Confused character would have put it. But it’s always been clear how much McConaughey values his children.
Learning Kindness
The Story Behind His Son’s Name
Sure, McConaughey has established himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest names over the last 25 years. But when he’s not making movies, the charming Texan is focused on being a father to his three children. And, even though he rarely discusses his personal life, the actor has revealed the touching story behind his son’s name.
The Story Behind His Son’s Name
All The Way Back To 2012
The story dates back to at least 2012, a year before his Oscar win. McConaughey married Camila Alves, a Brazilian-born woman, in that year. McConaughey first met Alves in a Los Angeles nightclub in 2006, where he claims Alves was initially wary of him.
All The Way Back To 2012
Denying His Moves
After chatting in the club, McConaughey managed to persuade Alves to return to his home. The Brazilian agreed to spend the night in the actor’s room but turned down all of his other advances, including a goodnight kiss.
Denying His Moves
She Knows Who She Is
In 2017, McConaughey told Howard Stern that when he awoke the next morning, he’d found Alves. “holding court with [his] buddies and… housekeeper, eating breakfast like they’d been buddies for ten years.” He added, “There [was] no walk of shame. She stayed over, and she knows who she is.”
She Knows Who She Is
He Wanted To Be With Her
McConaughey knew right then and there that he wanted Alves to be a part of his life. He would have to make three attempts to get a date with her. So, in order to seal the deal, he prepared a home-cooked meal for the model, which he claims won her heart.
He Wanted To Be With Her
Their Kids
McConaughey and Alves welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Levi, two years after their fateful meeting. Vida, the couple’s daughter, was born in 2010 to the couple’s brood. In 2012, they welcomed their third child, another son named Livingston.
Their Kids
His First Child’s Name
McConaughey has spoken fondly of his three children in interviews since becoming a father. However, in July 2017, the actor provided a rare glimpse into his family when he revealed the touching inspiration for his first child’s name.
His First Child’s Name
‘I Love The Names Man’
McConaughey revealed that his son Levi had recently turned nine during an appearance on Good Morning America. As the actor went on to talk about his other children, host Matthew Strahan said, “I love the names, man.”
‘I Love The Names Man’
Explaining The Name
McConaughey responded to Strahan’s compliment by saying, “Well, Levi’s got a great source material. Levi’s another name for Matthew in the Bible. And so we had talked about possibly Matthew Jr. if we had a boy.”
Explaining The Name
Coming Up With Alternatives
That moniker, on the other hand, didn’t sit well with the soon-to-be father. “I didn’t want him to be Matthew because I thought it would be Matthew Jr,” McConaughey explained. As a result, he and Alves devised some alternatives. “Levi was one of six possible boy names,” the actor revealed.
Coming Up With Alternatives
Unsure
Because the couple didn’t know whether they were having a boy or a girl at this point, they decided to wait until their baby arrived before naming him or her. Picking up his story there, McConaughey continued, “He’s born; we found out he’s a boy when he’s born; you’re not thinking about the name, right?”
Unsure
A Sign
McConaughey and Alves, on the other hand, received a major sign regarding their son’s future name shortly after his birth. “An hour later, the doctor comes up, and they hand you that card that you fill out… ‘Blank was born at 6:22 p.m.,’” McConaughey went on.
A Sign
His Favorite Verse
The time of McConaughey’s son’s birth was particularly memorable for him. “My favorite book of the Bible is Matthew 6:22,” he revealed. He also explained, recounting a verse from his favorite section of the holy book, “If thy eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light.”
His Favorite Verse
Levi
Given the importance of his baby’s due date, McConaughey knew there could only be one name for his firstborn. The actor said of his and Alves’ reactions, “We went, ‘It’s Levi.’ So, that’s how he got his name.”
Levi
The Daughter’s Name
McConaughey then went on to discuss the origins of his other children’s names, revealing that he and Alves had a lot easier time deciding on a name for their daughter. The Dallas Buyers Club star explained, “Vida, we always knew we wanted it.”
The Daughter’s Name
The Third Kid
Meanwhile, the couple’s third child’s name has a fascinating backstory. “Livingston got his name because I’ve met a couple of Livingstons in my life, and they were men that if you saw them from 200 yards away just walking, you’d go, ‘That man’s got a great constitution,’” McConaughey explained.
The Third Kid
Livingston
With that in mind, McConaughey and Alves decided that “Livingston” would be the ideal name for their child. “I’d never heard Livingston as a first name, and I always thought it was really cool, so we said Livingston Alves McConaughey,” the actor revealed.
Livingston
Making A Name For Themselves
While celebrity baby names are frequently in the news, one celebrity has gone to great lengths to give his children meaningful names. However, we’re confident that as the Alves-McConaughey children grow older, they’ll be able to make a name for themselves.
Making A Name For Themselves
New Movies
Only aged 52, Matt McConaughey is still going strong when it comes to making movies. The actor has a slew of upcoming projects and this shows he has no intention of slowing down any time soon. Having achieved success as a producer, actor, author and even professor, McConaughey even admitted that he had considered running for Governor of Texas! So what is McConaughey up to now?
New Movies
Sing Sequel
McConaughey dabbled in voice acting with Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings and the jukebox musical Sing, both released in 2016. In the first, he played Beetle, a supporting character. In the latter, he once again played an anthropomorphized animal, this time as Buster Moon, a koala. The film follows Buster as he holds a singing competition in order to boost attendance at his faltering theater.
Sing Sequel
Success
The film received positive reviews from reviewers and moviegoers, earning a 72 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing more over $600 million at the box office on a $75 million budget. As a result, Illumination Entertainment is planning a sequel, with McConaughey leading a star-studded cast that includes Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Nick Kroll, John C. Reilly, and Taron Egerton. The film was due for release in December 2021, and follows Buster and his friends as they try to entice an elusive rock star to compete in another singing competition.
Success
British Gangster
In the 2020 film The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie returned to his British gangster roots with a refined twist, starring Matthew McConaughey as an American ex-pat marijuana billionaire residing in England trying to dispose his empire and retire. The picture nailed all of Ritchie’s distinctive poetics, and McConaughey fit right in with the British underworld that has become his brand. The film received generally excellent reviews from reviewers and grossed $115 million at the box office on a $22 million budget.
British Gangster
Television Series
As a result, according to Deadline, Miramax and Ritchie have agreed to develop a television series based on The Gentlemen. Ritchie, who is one of an increasing number of high-profile Hollywood directors venturing into television, will write and direct the show. The rest of the ensemble cast from the feature film, including McConaughey, is not yet attached to return as Mickey Pearson, but with Guy Ritchie on board and McConaughey’s TV track record, there’s a good possibility the parties will reach a deal.
Television Series
Detective
This part of McConaughey’s future is somewhat speculative, but his success with True Detective season 1 is well-known. He and his co-star from season one, Woody Harrelson, acted as executive producers on the show’s most recent third season, which resurrected the series following a critically panned second season. The onscreen characters of Rust Cohle and Marty Hart make a brief cameo appearance in the guise of a newspaper clipping, prompting fans to speculate that the cynical detective Rust Cohle and his colleague Marty Hart may return in season 4.
Detective
The Billionaire’s Vinegar
The film version of the 2008 nonfiction book The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine had Matthew McConaughey attached at one point. The plot revolves around a bottle of wine purportedly owned by Thomas Jefferson that was sold for a record price to a Forbes family member, but when questions about its genuine origins arise, scandal erupts. Following their participation on The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006) and Seven Pounds (2007), producers Todd Black, James Lassiter, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, and Will Smith were rumored to be attached by Deadline in 2015. (2008).
The Billionaire’s Vinegar
A Time For Mercy
In 1996, McConaughey made his breakthrough as a starring man in the courtroom thriller A Time to Kill, playing lawyer Jake Brigance. The star-studded ensemble comprised Samuel L. Jackson as Brigance’s client, Sandra Bullock as his lawyer, and Kevin Spacey as his vicious legal opponent, despite the fact that McConaughey was relatively unknown at the time. The movie is based on the same-named John Grisham novel, which explores the story of southern racial politics through the perspective of a pivotal court case. McConaughey would go on to play a similar part in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad in 1997, thanks to his success in this film.
A Time For Mercy
Sequel – More Time For Mercy?
Now, according to Deadline, HBO is planning a limited series version of Grisham’s sequel, A Time for Mercy, starring McConaughey. The move makes perfect sense, given the accolades for McConaughey’s passionate performance in the original film and his great track record in quality television. A pertinent subject concerning race relations and the American criminal justice system provides the filmmakers with an opportunity for dramatic social commentary, if they can adapt the 1996 approach to reflect more current perspectives.
Sequel More Time For Mercy
Greenlights
McConaughey wrote Greenlights in 2020 and exiled himself in the desert with no electricity for 52 days while composing the book. Greenlights sprang out of McConaughey’s diaries and journals, which he began keeping when he was fourteen years old. The book is a collection of “tales, prayers, poetry, people and places, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers,” according to McConaughey. In chronological order, the book features stories and observations from McConaughey’s life. It’s been termed a memoir, but McConaughey refers to it as a “approach book.”
Greenlights