The Academy Award-winning actor, writer and philanthropist joined Tim McGraw for a special episode of his Apple Music radio show for a wide-ranging discussion on fame, family and fatherhood.
00:00Matthew McConaughey is opening up about his shirtless rom-coms phase and how turning down a $14.5 million offer led to his career renaissance and an Oscar.
00:09The 51-year-old, who is rumored to be eyeing a bid to be governor of Texas, joined Tim McGraw on the country star's Beyond the Influence radio show on Apple Music.
00:18He spoke about the time when he was the go-to guy for rom-coms, like 2001's The Wedding Planner and 2003's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
00:25I'm living in a pad in Malibu, surfing on the beach shirtless. I'm shirtless rom-com McConaughey, and I'm like, you're damn right I am.
00:33Those rom-coms are paying for these houses that I'm renting on the beach, baby. Guilty.
00:37McConaughey said he got comfortable in the rom-com genre, but realized he wanted a challenge.
00:42I was like, I want to be scared. I want to look at something and go, whoa, I don't know what I'm going to do with that.
00:49I want to dive in a pool and trust I'll come up the other side, but take the journey and come up bloody.
00:53However, studios wouldn't consider him for more dramatic roles because he was the rom-com guy.
00:58This led McConaughey to a career renaissance, one he embraced but only after rejecting a rom-com offer for $14.5 million.
01:06Now when I said no to that, I do believe that sort of an invisible lightning bolt went across Hollywood and they go, oh, McConaughey's not bluffing.
01:15He ain't kidding. So then everything stopped. Nothing came in.
01:19McConaughey said no film offers came in for another 14 to 15 months and he even considered a new occupation.
01:25But as soon as he accepted that he may never return to Hollywood, the phone started ringing off the hook.
01:30I think, guess who's a new good idea for Lincoln Lawyer, for Killer Joe, for Magic Mike, for Mudd, for True Detective, for Dallas Buyers Club.
01:39You can listen to the full interview with McConaughey on Apple Music and find more on this story on THR.com.
01:50For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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