Matthew McConaughey says he almost quit acting: 'I was not going back' (original) (raw)

The Oscar winner once almost abandoned his career to coach high school football or lead a symphony orchestra instead.

Published on October 27, 2020 09:30AM EDT

In an exclusive clip, above, from the newest episode of Apple TV+'s The Oprah Conversation, Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey opened up to Oprah Winfrey about a time in his life, following his break from acting, when he was trying to transition from the romantic lead to more dramatic roles and he almost called it quits.

"I dabbled with thinking about other careers," he says, revealing that careers he was considering included high school football coach, symphony orchestra leader, wildlife guide, and schoolteacher. He added, "I was not going back."

Clearly, he kept at it, and he went on to nab roles in buzzy projects such as True Detective, Mud, Magic Mike, and of course Dallas Buyers Club, for which he won Best Actor at the 2014 Oscars.

He says he came to a realization that changed his attitude and kept him going all in on his acting career. "Just the same way I went to Australia for a year and stayed on a handshake, I was in. And I started to get that feeling that even though the harder this gets, this means there's more reward on the other side. Stick with it, stay in it, don't pull the parachute, McConaughey," he says.

The full episode with McConaughey streams on Wednesday on Apple TV+.

Related content:

• Matthew McConaughey explains why he's never dated a costar: 'We always kept it professional'
• Listen to Matthew McConaughey narrate Greenlights excerpt about his time as a hand model
• Of course Matthew McConaughey and Snoop Dogg got stoned filming The Beach Bum