McConaughey reveals he thought acting would only ever be a hobby

Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey has revealed he originally thought his acting career would be limited to a summer hobby.

The Oscar-winner, 50, first earned recognition for his supporting role in 1993 coming-of-age comedy Dazed And Confused, before establishing himself as a box office draw in a series of romantic comedies.

McConaughey’s career evolved with more dramatic roles, leading to a best actor Academy Award win for his portrayal of a cowboy diagnosed with Aids in 2013 biopic Dallas Buyers Club.

Despite his glittering success, the Texan revealed he never set out to conquer Hollywood and believed acting would remain a hobby. During an appearance on US TV, McConaughey discussed his late father’s influence, describing how he died five days into the shoot for Dazed And Confused.

He said: “So, at that time where I took on something, acting, I thought might just be a summer hobby, I might never do it again, he was alive five days into me shooting it. So he was alive when I started something that I thought might be a hobby but turned into a career. So, there’s a great serendipity in that for me.”

McConaughey, who has three sons with wife Camila Alves, also revealed he viewed becoming a father as a rite of passage. “I always knew I wanted to be was a father,” he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “You become a father, you’re immortal. Your lineage lives on, you pass it on.”

The actor has written a memoir titled Greenlights. He describes it as an “aspirational book” about an approach to life. “It’s stories, insights, philosophies” McConaughey said, saying it is like “taking a spaceship to Mars without needing a pilot’s licence”.

He added: “There’s a lot of good wisdom in it but advice is touchy. Nobody really wants to hear advice from a celebrity and nobody likes to be told what to do, especially me”.