When Noel Gallagher met Matthew McConaughey at a Hollywood wedding in 2017, the Oscar-winning actor blew his mind. “He’s like a character from Star Wars,” enthused Gallagher. “He was spewing out all this Texan wisdom.” Over the past five years, McConaughey has imparted his Noel-approved philosophies and life lessons via two books – his autobiography Greenlights was published in 2020 and he followed that up earlier this year with his Poems & Prayers collection.
In an upscale hotel in London, McConaughey tells NME that “it’s been six years since I’ve been in a film but I’ve created other characters for myself, such as a writer. I’m touring this Poems & Prayers book where I’m like a song and dance evangelist. Things had to be special or tickle me in the right way for me to come back to the screen.”
It turns out director Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, United 93) did manage to coax him back into movies with the heart-poundingly tense, white-knuckle ride true story The Lost Bus. Continuing his self-coined “McConaissance” (“It’s still live,” he laughs. “It’s still L-I-V-E”), the 55-year-old gives a stellar performance as grizzled schoolbus driver Kevin McCay, a reluctant hero who, in 2018, evacuated 22 children during the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history.
Check out our full interview with McConaughey below where he talks his friendship with Noel Gallagher, working alongside his son in The Lost Bus and those rumours about a True Detective return.
After six years, what appealed to you about the story of The Lost Bus?
“I didn’t understand who the man was at the beginning but I trusted that I could find him after I talked to Paul. I know a lot of middle-aged men who are looking up from their life going, ‘Gosh, what do I have to show for it?’ Unlike first responders who are waiting to do heroic things, here’s a guy who found himself in a predicament where he was in a rush to get home to evacuate his mom and son, but a call came in that there are 23 kids stranded on his side of town and he was the only bus there to go and pick ‘em up. And he chose to do that.”
“Why does someone choose to do that? It could be as simple as it’s his job – part of the reason the real Kevin did it. In amongst all the action – which is immensely urgent and has an epic scale to it – there’s this great, personal story that I could connect with and wanted to study.”
In the film, a first responder laments: “Every year, the fires get bigger. And there’s more of them.” Did it feel prescient to finish the film and then witness the inferno that engulfed California shortly afterwards?
“To be fair, 10 years ago, it would have been prescient. Ten years from now, it’s probably still going to be prescient. The fact that the major fire happened – and this is about the Camp Fire in 2018 – means the movie’s coming out while the wound is still fresh to a lot of people in California. I’m curious to see what their reaction will be to the film. Is it going to be harder for them to see the film or cathartic? Time will tell. My hunch is that this film will be relevant for quite some time.”
Do you see it as a political film?
“Paul has his hints and nudges but it was never intended to be political.”
Kevin’s teenage son is played by your own, Levi McConaughey. Did that add an extra dimension?
“For sure, and it will add elements that I don’t even realise now. Whether my son pursues acting or makes it or not, the fact I got to be in a film with him and my mother [93-year-old Kay McConaughey portrays Kevin’s mum]…There’s a picture from the world premiere when I’m on the red carpet with my mom and son next to me. I look at that picture and go, ‘Oh my gosh’ – that feeling is going to do nothing but get cooler over time.”
In your autobiography Greenlights you address the downsides of fame. Were you worried about exposing your son to that?
“Yeah. If you had asked me when I was 35, I’d probably say, ‘I wouldn’t want my children going into this business’. But around the time we had our first child, I thought, ‘Where are you getting that from?’ Because I’ve met some of the most wonderful people in my life through this industry, we get to travel and everyone has to be excellent at their job. I’m not going to push any of my children to be in this industry but if they want to go into it, what an honour that would be. It can be a lonely job, the structure is not set, and it’s intense. When you’re having trouble getting work, you can feel lost and struggle with your identity and significance because there’s nothing consistent about it.”
“It also comes with invasions of privacy. You meet less strangers in the world and that can be unsettling. But the risk versus reward, I wouldn’t give anything back from my own experience of my career.”
You starred in a Super Bowl advertisement with Charli XCX this summer. Were you a ‘Brat’ fan?
“I became one around that time. It was cool working with her. I met her on set. We hit the mark within two takes and chatted a bit along the way. There’s a rhythm and musicality to acting that means musicians have a certain comfort in front of the camera.”
When asked in 2017 who he would like to play him in the movie of his life, Noel Gallagher enthusiastically responded ‘Matthew McConoughey’.
“Well, Noel’s great. We got on like that when we first hooked up and have had quite a few good laughs together. I’m seeing Oasis at their last show at Wembley. I’m really looking forward to that. And I was just talking to him the other day. The guy’s got a wicked sense of humour. We fell into some nice dance steps from when we first met and we get along all right.”
Would you be up for playing Noel in a biopic – could you nail the Manchester accent?
“I think he’s doing a pretty good job at playing himself right now. I don’t think he’s going anywhere any time soon.”
He also claimed you were “hands down the best person to party with”. Coming from Noel, that’s high praise!
“[Laughs] Seeing as we’ve both partied with some great partiers! We’ve…yeah…raised the roof a few times.”
True Detective series creator Nic Pizzolatto revealed in May that he’s discussed a potential idea with you that would reunite your O.G. character Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson’s Marty Hart. Tempted?
“There’s excitement, yes, but I haven’t seen a script yet. When I originally read True Detective, everything that came out of Rust Cohle’s mouth was white-hot. The script was on fire so the execution [of a sequel] must go another step. We’re keen on the idea but it’s nothing more than an idea. If Nic puts something on paper that Woody and I think is good enough, it wouldn’t even be a choice. We would look at it and go, ‘it must happen’. It’s gotta be damn good though because we set a pretty good precedent!”
‘The Lost Bus’ is out now on AppleTV+