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Matthew McConaughey is going to take his clothes off this weekend in the film Magic Mike (and I’m definitely going to turn out to see him do it), but unlike many beautiful people the world over, Matthew doesn’t have to strip in order to see his name in lights. In fact, he’s been featured on movie marquees for well over a decade at this point, and all that was required to ignite his meteoric rise to fame was one good book and a little good luck…

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Matthew was born in the small Texas town of Uvalde back in 1969. At the time, Matthew’s mother was a kindergarten teacher, and his father — an ex-pro football player — owned a gas station. His parents divorced and remarried each other several times.
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For high school, Matthew moved to Longview, Texas, and his classmates voted him “Most Handsome” in the yearbook.
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After high school, Matt chose not to join his father’s business. Instead, he moved to Australia for a year, where he washed dishes and shoveled manure to make a living. Afterwards, he moved back to the states and began to study law at the University of Texas in Austin. However, he discovered the inspirational book “The Greatest Salesman in the World” right before one of his final exams and decided to switch his studies to film.
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Matthew then began acting in commercials and student films in 1991. One day, at a hotel bar in Austin, Matthew was introduced to a casting director, who then introduced him to director Richard Linklater. At the time, Linklater was casting for his film Dazed and Confused, but he thought Matthew was too handsome for the role of the older guy who chases high school girls throughout the film. However, once Matthew grew out his hair and beard, Linklater changed his mind and awarded him the part. The role initially involved just 3 scenes, but it evolved to over 300 lines as the director encouraged Matthew to improvise.
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After Dazed and Confused, which ended up becoming both commercial and critical hit, Matthew flew somewhat under-the-radar with smaller roles in films like Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, and Boys on the Side.
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Matthew then moved to LA, and was cast in the role that was to make him a star. The part was a lead in the film adaptation of the John Grisham novel A Time to Kill, where he played opposite Sandra Bullock and Kevin Spacey. The film was a massive success, and Matthew was quickly hailed as the next big thing, as many likened him to Paul Newman.
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Since then, Matthew has become something of a romantic comedy staple, and there are more than a few films in his repertoire that we’d be kind to forget. Regardless, he remains on the top of the A-list to this day, 16 years later. Are you a fan? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.