Matthew McConaughey reveals why he turned down CAD 21M role
Actor Matthew McConaughey explained why he turned down a role worth CAD 21 million. In the "Modern Wisdom" podcast, the Oscar winner shared his thoughts on the true meaning of success.
"Now, money, fame, that's the definition of success. It seems to be whoever has more – more access, more money – you're the winner," stated McConaughey in the conversation. The actor emphasized, however, that for him, success and profit are not the same. "I think there's a difference between success and profit. Profit does pay you back," he explained.
McConaughey admitted that although he has nothing against money, he sees that many people focus solely on accumulating it. "I love money. I’m all for it. I see a lot of one way tickets that are ‘You can be successful and have more money but not be making a profit in your life,'" he said.
The actor also mentioned acquaintances who, despite immense wealth, are unhappy. "[They] were bewildered. Lost. Had no relationships. They didn't have purpose. They just chased the dollar," he added.
McConaughey not only claims that money is not the most important thing. He proved it when he turned down a role in the movie "Magnum, P.I" for $15 (CAD 21) million in 2008. Shortly after, he applied for a role in "Dallas Buyers Club," for which he received an Oscar and a much more modest paycheck of $200,000 (CAD 280,000).
The star's family life
Privately, Matthew McConaughey is married to model Camila Alves, with whom he has three children: sons Levi (15 years old) and Livingston (11 years old), and daughter Vida (14 years old). The couple, who married in 2012, moved from Malibu to Texas over a decade ago.
"We were living a happy life in Malibu," recalls Alves in an interview with "Southern Living." "We had a beautiful house that we’d built together and put a lot of love and care into. We were raising our kids there. I was growing everything in the yard. I had bees making honey."
The family decision to move to Texas was made after a sudden trip to Austin due to a family situation. Alves noticed that her husband felt more at ease there. She noticed "a peaceful but confident, energetic look," she recounts. She asked him, "You want to move here, don’t you?" He replied, "Yep."
