Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has broken his six-year acting hiatus with the highly anticipated film “The Rivals of Amziah King,” set to premiere at SXSW on March 10, per faroutmagazine.co.uk. This marks McConaughey’s first on-screen role since 2019’s The Gentlemen, and the star has opened up about why he stepped away from acting—and what brought him back.
In a candid interview with Variety, McConaughey revealed that his hiatus was a deliberate choice to focus on writing his autobiography, Greenlights, which became a global sensation, spending 55 weeks on the New York Times Best-Sellers List. “I needed to write my own story, direct my own story on the page,” he explained.
Despite lending his voice to projects like Sing 2, Agent Elvis and Deadpool and Wolverine, McConaughey admitted he felt nervous returning to a live-action set.
“Is anybody else nervous except for me? Alright, alright, alright, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one,” he joked, referencing his iconic catchphrase.
The experience of filming “The Rivals of Amziah King” reignited McConaughey’s passion for acting. “I remembered how much I truly enjoy performing,” he shared. “I also remembered, hey, McConaughey, you’re pretty damn good at this. Acting is a vacation for me—it’s my singular focus.”
McConaughey also credited his family for supporting his return, saying, “When I walk out the door in the morning, my wife says, ‘Go kick some ass. I got the kiddos. We’re good.’ That’s vacation. I’m not multitasking. I’m fully focused on finding the truth of my character.”
Following “The Rivals of Amziah King,” McConaughey will star in Paul Greengrass’ historical drama “The Rage,” exploring the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381.
- Featured image by All-Pro Reels
