Riding High: Celebrity Profiles Matthew McConaughey

American Actor Matthew McConaughey is currently one of Hollywood's most successful and bankable actors with a recent string of commercially and critically acclaimed films.

Born in Texas in 1969, his first breakthrough role was in the coming of age stoner comedy Dazed and Confused, directed by Richard Linklater in 1993. A host of films followed, including slasher film,Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, sci-fi film Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis alongside actress Jodie Foster, and slave revolt themed drama Amistad directed by Steven Spielberg. After this Matthew McConaughey starred in a string of romantic comedies which traded on his good looks and easy going charm. The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), and Fool’s Gold (2008) reinforced his reputation as reliable box office draw but did little to enhance his credibility as a serious or ambitious actor.

Recently Matthew McConaughey has rebooted his career to dramatic effect. His role as a fugitive in the deep south in the 2012 Jeff Nichols film Mud earned him critical praise. His next project, the widely acclaimed Dallas Buyers Club, where he played AIDS afflicted activist Ron Woodruff, a role for which he lost 47 pounds, saw him take best actor awards for the 2014 Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. His subsequent tour de force performance in the uniquely atmospheric television crime drama True Detective where he played the spiky troubled Rust Cole character continued a run of excellent creative choices. Matthew McConaughey closed 2014 strongly with one of the most anticipated films of the year the cerebral brilliant science fiction drama Interstellar directed by Christopher Nolan.