An Interview With Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey has quietly risen up the ranks in Hollywood as a leading man. He first made his splash on the big screen in roles that featured him more as the lady’s man, in such films as Boys on the side. The characters he played varied with films like A Time To Kill, Contact and Ed TV, before jumping into the action genre with films like U-571, Reign of Fire and the much critically acclaimed Frailty. In our interview with McConaughey he talks about the roles he’s been getting and why he loved the character Brandon Lang. He talks about the fact that lately all he’s done have been romantic comedies like The Wedding Planner and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, where life is a little too perfect. In the not so perfect world of Two For The Money, McConaughey plays a 900 sports advisor, whom gets noticed by Al Pacino, as a winner. He then is treated as the new prince of gambling picks, until his luck begins to run out. Not only does he have to face the wrath of his boss, but he also turns life upside down for some very shady gamblers that took his ill advice. In our interview with McConaughey we talk gambling, marriage, and getting a “buzz” with friends.

Latino Review: So why did you want to play this tortured guy who thought he had a life and found out later that people wanted to kill him and secondly now that Cruise and Damon have become engaged and have got married.....

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Where is this question going?

Latino Review: (Laughter) do you feel the pressure? Are you ready to gamble in Marriage like you do in this movie?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Let me answer the second question, no...Doing just fine, feeling no pressure. Never even thought about it.

Latino Review: Others are getting engaged left and right and you ok with it?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Didn’t even think about it until today. To answer your first question, I thought it was a great story. About a winner who starts to lose. If you a winner, what do you do when you start to lose? How do you get out of that hole what ever it is? It’s about a guy who goes into that world and finds out, you know, that the world and relationships he had were not what they seemed. And when he wants out, he can’t get out; he realizes there’s more to make than just money. It becomes a survivor’s story for him. That is all in this story when it begins, but I love that he’s a winner, he loses, and then has to become a winner again. How do you do that? Some dramatic roles that come across my desk will be a loser who keeps losing. This guy was a winner, played football and then all of the sudden his leg is taken out and now what’s he suppose to do? If you’re a singer and lose your singing voice; what do you do? These things happen every day. So what do you do? Try and get by. So what do you? He says hey you know what; he’s good at picking games. He doesn’t bet on them, but he picks the winners, you want to get paid for that? Sure. Those things I don’t think are necessarily what corrupted him. But they played a part in the things that do.

Latino Review: Do you think that’s the same type of gambling that takes place in the movie industry; picking a movie that will have a big box office?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Well I don’t know if that’s the same as the movie industry but a word I think of that relates to the movie industry is illusion. When a movie is... first of all it’s a miracle to get a movie done, then I go and talk the movie with ya’ll, and some expectations are made, and then it comes out and that’s when you see some of the illusions regarding the movie. Then you’re sitting there when the movie opens and think, man I thought that movie was going to make 20 and it only made 2? Or I thought it was only going to make 4 and it made 15. So you don’t know, you’re reminded every time that movie making is not an exact science.

Latino Review: Was this a special role for you to do?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: It was. I hadn’t had a meaty drama come across my desk in a while, that was offered to me, or there for me to chase after. I had just only done romantic comedies, and I was looking for something that showed life was not always that easy, where as in a romantic comedy the work is in keeping things easy. Plus the movie had things I was interested in...I love sports, love competition, even betting, everyone likes that. We all like to be able to tell the future, right? That’s what betting is. Every weekend, whether I bet or not, I love picking who I think will win, because come Monday, if I was right, I can say. I told you so. And if I didn’t do well, I can blame it on something else.

Latino Review: What’s your involvement with athletics?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: My involvement? I don’t play any professional sports. I grew up playing every sport you can imagine. I play golf, because I like spending time hanging out with friends. And its exercise makes me feel better mentally and physically.

Latino Review: Did you have to get in shape for this movie?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: No, the guy’s a quarter back but I didn’t have to get in shape. I don’t like those movies where you play a sport guys and then get in shape, I don’t buy that in movies.

Latino Review: Did you spend time with Brandon or Stu?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Some time with Brandon, no time with Stu. I spent a lot of time just listening to this guy and tried to pick up on some inside stuff. Some people have the ability and do pick winners for a living. I picked up some stuff from him but I don’t think I found out any super secret from him. I mean its all about chance.

Latino Review: Do you gamble?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Do I gamble? You gamble every day. I mean sometimes I’ll go with my friends to Vegas and say hey. But not too much. Sometimes its nothing, my friends and I will say lets just buy a ticket to the game, and we’ll sit around and watch it and turn it into a grudge match between us so we can talk a bunch of noise to each other. That way win or lose you’ll hear about it for days. It’s an innocent way to catch a buzz on it with some friendly competition.

Latino Review: Do you agree with sports advisers are part of the problem?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: Well I see it as, the minute you call one of these guys, you’re already saying hey, tell me what to do this weekend. People like to have their mind changed. Also I think if you call me with your pick and I tell you no, don’t do that, do this...people like to have their minds changed all the time. People like to gamble. They like the buzz of scratching a lottery ticket.

Latino Review: Have you had a gambling problem?

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: No, I really like gambling on myself. Doing press like this really is like gambling on me and the movie I’m making. Or if I’m playing golf, with my brothers, I like betting on myself, so if I make the shot or don’t, I can blame myself and no one else. But if I’ve ever bet money, it’s always money I can afford to lose. It’s never an amount where I’m going back home and thinking I wont be able to pay the rent. It’s a fun buzz but it doesn’t turn me on that much.

Two For The Money Opens Oct 7th