McConaughey, Matthew << muh KAHN uh hay, MATH yoo >> (1969-…), is an American television and motion-picture actor. Early in his career, he became known for performing in comedies, but later he earned acclaim for his skill in complex roles. McConaughey received the Academy Award as best actor for his performance in the biographical film Dallas Buyers Club (2013). In that film, he portrayed Ron Woodroof, a Texas electrician who began smuggling drugs to help HIV-positive patients after being diagnosed with the infection himself in 1986. McConaughey attracted attention for physically transforming himself for the role. He lost about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) to realistically portray the ill Woodroof.
Matthew David McConaughey was born on Nov. 4, 1969, in Uvalde, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in radio-television-film. In 1991, he appeared in student films and commercials in Texas. He also directed some short films. In 1993, McConaughey first gained notice in a major motion picture as a man in his early 20’s who still socializes with high-school students in the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused.
McConaughey’s other films include Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (originally released in 1994 as Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre); A Time to Kill (1996); Amistad (1997); The Wedding Planner (2001); How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003); We Are Marshall (2006); Fool’s Gold (2008); Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009); Killer Joe, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Bernie (all 2011); Magic Mike, Mud, and The Paperboy (all 2012); The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); Interstellar (2014); The Sea of Trees (2015); and Free State of Jones and Gold (both 2016). In 2014, he acted in the popular cable crime series “True Detective,” which began that year. McConaughey provided the voice for the character Beetle, a samurai warrior who was cursed with the body form of a beetlelike man in the animated film Kubo and the Two Strings (2016). McConaughey also provided his voice for the character Buster Moon, a koala who produces the world’s biggest singing competition, in the animated motion-picture feature Sing (2016).
