Life Lessons from Matthew McConaughey

Welcome to Life Lessons. This week, we revisit some highlights from our August 1996 combined cover story with Matthew McConaughey and Ashley Judd. After the pair played a married couple in the bone-chilling courtroom drama A Time to Kill, McConaughey reminisced with his co-star about his own courtroom aspirations, his criteria for choosing characters, and the feeling of becoming famous. So sit back, and grab a pen—you just might learn a thing or two.

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“We had a pretty conservative upbringing. You got your butt whopped for lying.”

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“I went to the University of Texas at Austin, as a psychology-philosophy major planning to go on to law school and become a criminal lawyer. Then I had a change of heart.”

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“I didn’t have any passion for law. I felt I had some food storytelling instincts and I wanted to translate some of this point of view right away, so I transferred to film school at Austin to learn directing.”

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“I got the bug. I began to get real excited about the idea of the mind travel you experience when you get into the head of a character.”

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“Up until ten months ago, I was like, ‘I want to work, man. What’s the role? I’ll do it.'”

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“I like a character with some kind of code—a line not necessarily drawn in the sand, but a line drawn in your head and your heart. I like a character who walks that fine line between insanity and genius.”

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“It’s about the work, man. Do the work. Don’t half-ass it. It’s also about not fearing failure. I’ve noticed that the best things have happened to me when I took a risk and came closest to failing.”

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“There are wonderful things that come with anonymity and, realistically, that’s about to leave me.”

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“Obviously, when you get confirmations that the work you’re doing is being understood, your confidence level rises. I’ve changed in that way.”

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“I’m in the striking period right now. Everyone’s stroking me. La-di-da-di-da-di-da. But in a year, if not sooner, the bullshit side of journalism, American and worldwide, is going to be after me and there’s no way I’m gonna let that make me cynical.”

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“I don’t pursue being a star. If that’s a by-product of doing good work, then thanks!”

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“What’s important is that the work should be the library that I am able to look at and go, ‘Good job McConaughey, man.’ All the rest is flattering, it’s very seductive, and I understand how you can get wrapped up in it, but it’s just packaging for the product.”

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