Matthew McConaughey's Costars Tell Some Epic Tales at the American Cinematheque Honors
Matthew McConaughey celebrated his American Cinematheque honors as he was meant to: taking swigs of Miller Lite from a special beer bucket at his table. The suds came courtesy of the evening’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, who joined McConaughey’s family members and pals in paying tribute to the 44-year-old actor at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Oct. 21. The evening played out like a very glamorous high-school reunion,as the actor’s many female costars regaled the room with their best McConaughey material:
Kate Hudson’s got to see his natural side.
The 35-year-old actress has plenty of experience with the actor: She starred in two romantic comedies with him — 2008’s Fools Gold and 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. In addition to performing an excellent rendition of McConaughey’s drawl, she also described the time they and some other friends were on a backwoods vacation. One night, Hudson noticed McConaughey was missing. She went outside to look for him and found him yelling “Whoo! Whoooo!” while standing naked on a rock. “He’s definitely one with nature!” she said.
Sandra Bullock recited a poem.
McConaughey’s costar in the 1996 drama, A Time to Kill, couldn’t be there in person, so appeared via video and recited a poem. During her colorful verse, she reflected on their years-long friendship and touched on his ability to give excellent advice: “Thank you for reminding me it’s OK to have a smaller bust.”
[See Photos: Matthew McConaughey’s American Cinematheque Honors]
Reese Witherspoon roughed it so she could costar with the actor.
While they were filming the drama Mud, Witherspoon had to stay at a fleabag motel and eat McDonald’s every day. “I’m down to earth, but I’m not that down to earth,” she said. Witherspoon later got a photo from McConaughey on the set, showing him BBQ-ing outside of his trailer with Camila and their children. The caption read: “Having the time of my life…choosing to live off the land.”
Matthew McConaughey helped Jennifer Garner get through breast-feeding.
Garner noted that she was nursing her third child with Ben Affleck when she was filming Dallas Buyers Club with McConaughey. The actor had lost a startling 45 pounds to play the emaciated Ron Woodruff, and Garner hated making her “starving” costar wait for scenes while she pumped. “I willed my boobs to go further than they’d ever gone,” she joked, even though McConaughey was always more than understanding. “On top of everything he had going on in his head, [to] make me and my comfort and my babies a priority — that is a man,” she said.
McConaughey got Anne Hathaway drunk.
His Interstellar costar recalled a time when the man of the hour invited her to a party at his house in Texas. Hathaway showed up with her husband…a day late. The ever-gracious McConaughey hosted them anyway, inviting her in for a glass of wine. “That glass of wine led to the first bottle,” she recalled. “I stopped counting after four.”
Jessica Chastain’s grandma is a serious fan.
His Interstellar costar remembered bringing her grandmother to a recent cast screening of the movie and introducing her to the actor. “My grandma was vibrating. She was ready to jump his bones!”
Richard Linklater reminded everyone that McConaughey doesn’t always take his shirt off.
Director Richard Linklater, who cast McConaughey in his breakout role as the lascivious David Wooderson in 1993’s Dazed and Confused, pointed out that McConaughey is more than just a pretty face. “He’s a character actor sometimes trapped in a leading man’s body,” said the Boyhood director. “I don’t think he’s had his shirt off once in any of my movies.”
McConaughey made Christopher Nolan look bad.
While the Interstellar director was presenting the night’s award to McConaughey, he recalled how the super-dad would play with Nolan’s own kids while on set. “I find him extremely serious. [But] my kids found him very amusing on his days off when he would build forts with them and his kids, thereby making me look like a slightly worse father.”
