One thing is certain about Matthew McConaughey: his last name is a pain to spell! Other than that, there’s much to love about this actor. He’s made fans swoon for years just by pulling off his shirt, and while he’s been a mainstay in the rom-com genre, he strays far outside its borders every so often.
As his successful tenure in Hollywood continues, his work is slowly becoming more serious, culminating in Dallas Buyers Club for which he won endless awards, including an Oscar.
It didn’t end there. He recently teamed up with the Batman franchise’s saviour, Christopher Nolan, for sci-fi drama Interstellar. Not content to surprise audiences on the big screen alone, he wowed everyone with his portrayal of Detective Rust Cohle in the first season of True Detective.
Today the well-chiselled Texan turns 46; and to celebrate, we’re honouring him by taking a look at the top five moments Matthew McConaughey surprised us.
A Time to Kill (1996)
Hailed as his breakout movie, McConaughey already proved way back in the ‘90s that he could do drama with this legal thriller based on a John Grisham novel.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
The ruler of rom-com surprised everyone with his role as Rick Peck in Ben Stiller-directed, Hollywood send-up Tropic Thunder. Although accustomed to comedy, his character was not quite the sugary boy-next-door from his other movies, but rather a crass, crude yet utterly devoted, friend and agent.
Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Playing a lawyer again, in yet another book to movie adaptation, McConaughey nevertheless set critics tongues wagging at his performance. Dallas Buyers Club may have helped him win awards, and he may never have been a stranger to drama, but this movie made critics and fans realise that while still dipping into comedy McConaughey was set on a more serious trajectory.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Not only did McConnaughey triumph over Leonardo DiCaprio at the 2014 Oscars, but he appeared in the very movie for which DiCaprio had been nominated. McConaughey’s appearance was brief but memorable, marking it as a classic in the canon of movie cameos.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
No one doubted that McConaughey could take on a dramatic role, but his performance as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club blew everyone out the water, including his competition at every awards' ceremony. He not only won an Oscar for the role, but also a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, amongst many others.
Watch McConaughey in true rom-com form as he woos Jenifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner on M-Net Movies Zone.
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