Matthew McConaughey is a prolific actor, and many audience members, including myself, will remember moments in his movies for the rest of their lives. McConaughey has had a long career in multiple genres, meaning he has a project out there for everybody. Some of my earliest exposure to his work was in classic rom-coms, as he cuts the perfect figure for a leading man in fun and endearing films from the early 2000s. In these projects, he worked alongside amazing costars, from Kate Hudson to Jennifer Lopez. As he progressed in the industry, he began to flex his dramatic muscles.

Something I appreciate in a traditionally handsome Hollywood star who’s typecast as a leading man is the ability to perform well as a character actor and have a great sense of humor. Despite being characterized as the love interest, McConaughey isn’t afraid to be ridiculous or terrifying on camera. His starring role in True Detective revived McConaughey’s career, and since then, he’s been able to take on almost any kind of character and project he likes. As a fan of the actor, I enjoy looking back on his trajectory in the industry and the range he’s demonstrated over the years.

10

What You Can And Can’t Touch – Magic Mike (2012)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Although McConaughey is only in the first movie of the franchise, the 2012 Magic Mike, he’s remained a significant part of the movie’s lore. As Dallas, the owner of the strip club who helps mold the young men into the best dancers they can be, McConaughey is hilarious. Magic Mike attempts to tackle more serious subject matter throughout its runtime, but the movie’s at its best when the actors are having fun and being as charming as possible. These are two tasks that McConaughey has always thrived at.

Magic Mike is hardly McConaughey’s most prestigious film, but it makes me laugh. McConaughey’s parts of the movie are often the funniest of the film. Watching him fully commit to the role and take it so seriously elevates the humor to the next level. All of this culminates in the scene when Dallas tells the screaming audience that they can’t touch the dancers but makes it incredibly suggestive and over-the-top. However, these over-the-top scenes are why audiences watch movies like Magic Mike.

9

Finding Out He Tested Positive For HIV – Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée

McConaughey’s award-winning performance as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club saw him go through tremendous physical transformations. However, this isn’t why it’s a memorable performance or why McConaughey was believable in his role. The movie takes on intense subject matter, as Woodroof is HIV positive, and the movie takes place in the 1980s. This was a time when the AIDS crisis was treated with contempt and misunderstood by medical professionals and the general public alike. I don’t think that every aspect of the film’s representation of communities affected by AIDS is the strongest, but the movie still works.

In the scene when Woodroof gets his diagnosis, he lashes out and says some incredibly hurtful and insensitive things, as the film doesn’t shy away from Woodroof’s prejudices. However, in the context of the larger narrative, it’s a vital scene because it shows how far he comes by the end of the movie. While his journey begins for selfish purposes, he soon realizes the discrimination and unfairness of governmental policies that target individuals with AIDS. He changes from the hurt and confused man he was at the start to someone who comes up against powerful institutions.

8

Punching His Chest – The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Although The Wolf of Wall Street is Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie, McConaughey plays a great foil to DiCaprio’s character and plays a vital role in his development. Mark (McConaughey) gives Jordan (DiCaprio) his introduction to the world of Wall Street and how to play the financial numbers game to get rich. At first, Mark’s actions seem outlandish and intense next to Jordan’s reserved demeanor, but it soon becomes clear that Jordan is looking in a mirror of his future if he continues down this path.

This is exemplified in the scene when Mark and Jordan are getting lunch, and Mark begins banging on his chest in the middle of a crowded restaurant. It was an embarrassing moment, and I related to Jordan’s expression, making it clear that the situation was his worst nightmare. However, it’s a great reminder of how far McConaughey is willing to go to push his performances to their limits. He understands that his character is a fool and doesn’t mind making himself look foolish in turn to create the best possible product.

7

You Just Lost Him – How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)

Directed by Donald Petrie

Of all the Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey movies, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days might be the best because of how well it shows off both actors’ talents. The performers are well known for being heartthrobs and being in many rom-coms, showing how funny they can be in the wild premise of the movie. Their chemistry is off the charts, even when they’re driving the other one up the wall. As far as romantic movies go, it doesn’t get better than How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, which could be why it’s so well-known today.

There are many memorable scenes in the movie, from Andie (Hudson) walking out of her building in the yellow dress to the public fight scene when they angrily sing “You’re So Vain” to each other. However, the most poignant and realistic moment in the movie comes when Benjamin (McConaughey) learns that Andie’s been using him to write an article and tells her she’s successfully lost him. Every good rom-com needs the “all hope is lost” moment before the central couple can get their happily ever after, and this is one of my favorites.

6

Defending His Family – The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Directed by Brad Furman

Though the recent TV series The Lincoln Lawyer might have better name recognition than McConaughey’s earlier movie, it’s still worth watching. Based on the book by Michael Connelly, the premise of the movie is a little cute, but McConaughey’s charm makes it work. His character, Mickey, is a lawyer who works out of the back of his Lincoln car, and takes on cases that intrigue him, but occasionally put him at risk. It’s not my favorite of McConaughey’s portrayal of lawyers, but it’s hard to imagine that anyone else could have balanced the sincerity and humor required of Mickey.

The Lincoln Lawyer never reaches the heights of some of McConaughey’s other work in terms of stakes and conflicts, but one of the final scenes drives home the abilities of his character. His client, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), is soon discovered to be a cold-blooded killer and threatens to go after Mickey’s family. When Louis arrives at the house, Mickey is waiting for him and makes it clear that there’s no way he’ll let Louis walk free or ever touch his family. After learning what a despicable person Louis is and growing so fond of Mickey’s family, it’s difficult not to cheer when Mickey wins the day.

5

Closing Argument – A Time To Kill (1996)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

A Time To Kill is often compared to the seminal film, To Kill A Mockingbird, but it differs in many key ways in both the plot and execution. However, it’s clear that McConaughey took cues from Gregory Peck’s landmark performance in the 1962 movie, especially when watching the moving delivery of his closing argument. His character, Jake, defends Carl (Samuel L. Jackson) after Carl kills the men who brutally assaulted his daughter. Though they live in a segregated and prejudiced town, Carl believes Jake can help him win the case.

As a movie, I have some problems with A Time To Kill. It leans too far into the white savior fantasy of McConaughey’s character, implies that a criminal case can be won solely with appeals to emotion, and overall lacks the depth and complexity of narratives that tackle similar issues of racial discrimination in the judicial system. Despite this, McConaughey puts everything he has into the speech that supposedly turns the tide on the jury’s opinion of Carl. It’s one of the strongest moments of the film and has led to its cultural longevity.

4

Telling The Story – Killer Joe (2011)

Directed by William Friedkin

It’s not easy to watch Killer Joe, a movie that toes the line between horror, psychological drama, and satire and features plenty of graphic violence. McConaughey hasn’t played exclusively kind and heroic characters in his oeuvre, but it’s shocking to see him play someone as vile and cruel as the dirty cop turned hitman in Killer Joe. The movie takes many unbelievable turns. As I was unfamiliar with the source material, the play by Tracy Letts, I was on the edge of my seat until the final moments of the story.

Throughout the film, McConaughey’s performance is one of the best parts, as he lends credibility and familiarity to a narrative that can easily alienate the audience. One of the peak moments of tension comes when he tells a long story to Dottie (Juno Temple) in a series of simple shots of their conversation. It isn’t a fight scene or a moment of high adrenaline, but it exemplifies what McConaughey is trying to convey with his performance. He exudes a quiet madness that doesn’t ebb for a moment throughout the movie.

3

Rescuing Ellis – Mud (2012)

Directed by Jeff Nichols

Morality is hazy in Mud, a movie that captures the American South well in its environment and atmosphere. McConaughey plays the titular character, Mud, who’s caught up running away from the family of the man he killed. Though he’s capable of violence, it soon becomes clear that his moral code is a personal one, as Mud killed the man for abusing his girlfriend. His goodness as a character is shown at a turning point in the movie. After Ellis (Tye Sheridan) is bitten by a venomous snake, Mud risks his life to save him.

It’s a high-intensity scene and one of the most action-packed parts of the movie, which is what makes it stick out in my mind. Mud must cross a river and a forest before the snake’s venom gets too far into Ellis’ body. He’s inevitably recognized when he drops Ellis off at the hospital, allowing the men searching for him to track him down. However, it’s not the threat of violence that makes me empathize with Mud’s predicament, but the fact that he steps up and plays the hero for the young boy who’s counting on him.

2

Alright, Alright, Alright – Dazed And Confused (1993)

Directed by Richard Linklater

When McConaughey landed his iconic breakout role in Dazed and Confused, it changed the course of his career forever. It also had the added benefit of including one of the most well-known lines in cinematic history. To me, it’s important to remember that Dazed and Confused is about much more than McConaughey’s burnout character. It’s one of Richard Linklater’s first outings as a director and the project that allowed him to make masterpieces like the Before Trilogy. However, it’s inarguably lines like, “Alright, alright, alright,” that have cemented the film in audiences’ minds.

This line was reportedly improvised on the day of filming by McConaughey. If any other actor delivered the line, it wouldn’t have become such a cultural touchstone. Whenever I hear McConaughey’s voice, it’s impossible not to picture the man himself, as his drawl has become inextricable from his persona as an actor. He doesn’t have the biggest role in the movie or drive the plot forward all that much, but many viewers have sat down to watch Dazed and Confused simply to see what all the fuss about McConaughey’s performance is about.

1

The Crying Scene – Interstellar (2014)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar remains a hallmark of both Matthew McConaughey‘s and Christopher Nolan’s careers to this day, and for good reason. It’s one of my favorite Nolan movies because of how well it blends good science fiction into a poignant story about family and warning about the dangers of environmental exploitation. His character, Cooper, makes the impossible choice of sacrificing his relationship with his children to go on a mission that could potentially save the human race. However, you can’t forget the fact that the mission isn’t a sure thing and that Cooper might be leaving his family for nothing.

It’s impossible not to be moved by Cooper’s reaction to the final message he receives from Murph (Jessica Chastain). It’s a full circle moment, calling back to when Cooper tells Murph that when he comes home from his journey, they might be the same age. Murph sends a message on her birthday when she’s as old as Cooper was when he left, and he breaks down in tears. I’m a firm believer that intense sadness or rage doesn’t inherently make a performance moving or good, but in Interstellar, it’s undeniably a case of an actor giving their all.