Matthew McConaughey always planned to ditch Hollywood for Texas
"Greenlights" author Matthew McConaughey reflected on his Texas values and explained why he was inspired to raise his family in Austin.
Matthew McConaughey always had plans to ditch the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to return to his home state of Texas.
"This has always been home, there are multiple reasons for that," he shared on "Today."
The actor and "Greenlights" author added that he enjoys the slower pace in Texas, and his family roots have always been planted in the Lone Star State.
"This is where I have a great relationship with time. Meaning 60 seconds feels like a minute, a mile feels like a mile. I like to live in a place and for a home to be a place where I have a good relationship with time," he said.
McConaughey added that his "family unit is here" in Texas, including his 92-year-old mother and his two older brothers. The actor explained that he had plans to return once he was ready to raise his own family with wife Camila Alves.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, CAMILA ALVES LOVE 'THE LACK OF DRAMA’ SINCE LEAVING CALIFORNIA FOR TEXAS
"I wanted them to have what I grew up around… There’s a solid… amount of common sense that runs through it, it's untalked about, but we understand it here," he said on "Today."
McConaughey also noted that he values the "resources" and the "backbone of security" he has in his home state.
McConaughey and Alves married in 2012, and they share three children together.
In 2014, McConaughey left Malibu, California, for Austin, Texas, with his family.
He was born in Uvalde, Texas, but grew up in Longview, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and had plans to be a lawyer, but ended up taking a different route.
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He began acting in 1991 in student films and commercials. McConaughey’s first big film role was as David Wooderson in 1993's "Dazed and Confused." It was in this movie that McConaughey said one of the most memorable lines of his career: "Alright, alright, alright."
In the early 2000s, the actor began his rom-com run, and starred in "The Wedding Planner," "Failure to Launch" and "Ghost of Girlfriends Past." McConaughey worked with Kate Hudson on two of his romance movies, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Fool’s Gold."
Earlier this year, McConaughey admitted he almost quit Hollywood during his romantic-comedy years.
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"I’ve usually zigged when I felt like Hollywood wanted me to zag," the 54-year-old told "Twisters" star Glen Powell for an article in Interview magazine. "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."
McConaughey said the break was "scary," and he considered leaving acting altogether. He debated starting over again in a completely different career, which included becoming a teacher, a conductor or a wildlife guide.
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