Matthew McConaughey made his first on-screen appearance in around six years at a film festival earlier this month, and the premiere prompted a rare reaction.
The American actor, best known for his roles in Dallas Buyers Club and Interstellar, last appeared on-screen in a film in 2019, when he played cannabis mogul Mickey Pearson in The Gentlemen.
McConaughey, who recently spilled the beans on he and acting buddy Woody Harrelson potentially sharing the same dad, has taken a break from on-screen acting in recent years to spend time with family and friends, as well as dedicating some time to writing his memoir.
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He spoke at the premiere of his new film The Rivals of Amziah King at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas on 10 March.
As reported by Variety, McConaughey introduced the film at SXSW, saying: “It’s been six years since I did a film or was onscreen?… Why did I come to this film, what was it?
"Not often does something cross my desk where I’m like ‘Oh, that’s an original language! I’ve never heard that before, but I know those people.
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“Oh, that’s an original, time, place and space. Oh, there’s some real humour. There’s some real innocence and a whole lot of heart and [a] momentous amount of spirit.”
The 55-year-old added: “In a place that has do with a carny-Credence like a revival band that plays live shows in Dairy Queen parking lots; whose a beekeeper; love story between a foster parent and a foster child, love story of a whole bunch of misfits and underdogs, that come together, a bunch of hair-lips, knee-scraping people who’ll give the shirt off their back.
“Those are the reasons why I did it. It’s also some kind of musical!”
The Rivals of Amziah King tells the story of a born-again Christian who runs a town's honey production, while criminal activity threatens his livelihood.
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McConaughey plays the titular role of Amziah King, alongside Kurt Russell, Cole Sprouse and Angelina LookingGlass.
Reflecting on his return to the acting in an interview with Variety, McConaughey pointed out that he 'remembered a couple of things'.
He said: “One, how much I truly enjoy performing. Two, I remembered, I am pretty damn good at this. And three, I remembered that acting is a vacation for me, and what I mean by vacation is that when I’m performing, it’s my singular focus."
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The academy award winner's latest film delighted viewers at the premiere, and earned him a rare standing ovation but interested audiences may have to wait to see it on their screens, with an official release date not yet confirmed.
Topics: Matthew McConaughey, Film, TV and Film, Celebrity
James Moorhouse