Biography
Matthew McConaughey ('Dirk Pitt' in "Sahara") first attracted attention in the coming of age comedy "Dazed and Confused." He was cast in a number of roles in films, including "Boys on the Side" and "Lone Star," landing the lead role in "A Time to Kill." Based on the John Grisham novel, the film was directed by Joel Schumacher.
Steven Spielberg cast him in "Amistad" with Anthony Hopkins and Morgan Freeman and that led to Robert Zemeckis casting him in "Contact." He teamed with Woody Harrelson and Jenna Elfman in Ron Howard's "Edtv." The controversial drama about the wartime capture of the enigma codes, "U-571," with Bill Paxton was in marked contrast to the romantic comedy, "The Wedding Planner," with Jennifer Lopez.
McConaughey's range of roles was well tested in 2002 with three diverse films. He played an attorney facing a moral dilemma in "13 Conversations About One Thing," which was followed by the thriller, "Frailty," written/directed by Bill Paxton. He then showed off his sci-fi action chops in "Reign of Fire" as he and co-star Christian Bale try to save the world from fire breathing dragons.
The romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" with Kate Hudson was his most successful film to date, opening at number one and securing a domestic box office of over $100 million.
McConaughey's company, j. k. livin, is developing projects with New Line, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Imagine Entertainment. They produced the documentary "Hands on a Hardbody" and collaborated with Sandra Bullock's Fortis Films, producing "Making Sandwiches," which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. McConaughey also wrote and directed the short films "The Rebel" and "Chicano Chariots."
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