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Matthew McConaughey has revealed he nearly quit acting due to being typecast in romantic comedies. Despite achieving fame with romcoms like "The Wedding Planner" and "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days," McConaughey felt pigeonholed and struggled to find more diverse roles. In an interview with Glen Powell for Interview magazine, he shared, "When I had my rom-com years, there was only so much bandwidth I could give to those, and those were some solid hits for me. But I wanted to try some other stuff. Of course, I wasn’t getting it, so I had to leave Hollywood for two years."
During this two-year break, McConaughey contemplated various career changes, discussing options with his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey. He recalled telling her, "I think I’m going to teach high school classes. I think I’m going to study to be a conductor. I think I’m going to go be a wildlife guide." This period was fraught with uncertainty and fear, as McConaughey feared Hollywood had permanently sidelined him. "I honestly thought, 'I stepped out of Hollywood. I got out of my lane.' The lane Hollywood said I should stay in, and Hollywood's like, 'Well, f**k you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later.'"
Reflecting on his early success with "A Time to Kill," McConaughey noted the sudden change in opportunities, stating, "The Thursday before that movie opened, there's 100 scripts out there that I would've done, and 99 of them I could not book. Over that one weekend, 99 noes became 99 yeses." This stark transformation prompted him to take a three-week trip to Peru to clear his mind.
Despite these challenges, McConaughey's return to Hollywood marked a significant career shift. He took on dramatic roles in "The Lincoln Lawyer," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "Dallas Buyers Club," the latter earning him an Academy Award in 2014. This role, along with his performance in "Interstellar," proved his versatility beyond romcoms.
Now back in Texas with his family, McConaughey continues to explore different facets of his career. He serves as a visiting instructor at the University of Texas at Austin.
