Matthew McConaughey Reveals The Question He Gets Asked The Most About Acting In Hollywood

Matthew McConaughey talking about his acting process on his YouTube channel.

Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey is modern Hollywood royalty. His decades-long career has served as an inspiration to many up-and-coming actors. His movie star status has led to various fans and young performers asking him constant questions about acting, especially when it comes to the roles he's specifically done in Hollywood.

Being a Hollywood veteran, Matthew McConaughey has plenty of advice and wisdom to espouse to young actors. Every now and then, people will inquire about all the ins and outs of acting with the Oscar winner. With that said, the Magic Mike star revealed the one acting question fans and aspiring actors ask him constantly. In his words:

The question I get asked most often and I think most actors get is ‘How do you remember all those lines?’ And I’m always like, ‘Well, you don’t try to remember all the lines.’ You look at what’s on the text. First, you read it and you try to understand it. You read it again. Me, I read it after a run when my endorphins are flying, I read it late Saturday night when I’ve got a good buzz going, I read it right after church when I’m in a forgiving mood. I’ll read it when I’m mad, sad, glad, happy, excited -- many different places where I am personally, I’ll read a script. That means I’ll have a different look at the same scenes, because I’m in a different place.

Matthew McConaughey gave some sound advice about delving into a script. Reading a script at various times, places and emotions allowed him to tap into a scene on a different level. McConaughey’s method appeared to have worked, as evident by his Oscar-winning role in Dallas Buyers' Club. Of course, given his Hollywood status, any young aspiring actor would want some insight from the Oscar winner.

In his YouTube video, Matthew McConaughey gave viewers more insight into his acting process. He mentioned shaping and studying his character for lengthy periods. The Gentlemen star revealed the following about this process:

I gather all that for weeks if not months before I start really locking in and making decisions about what my character might or might not do. My 'truths of my man,' as I call it. You have to watch in a script to not grab a hold of things you want to take too literally, too early. You don’t want to get bound to anything.

Matthew McConaughey’s explanation of his acting process gave some insight into how studying and becoming your character can help overall. Trying different techniques can bring out the best performances, as seen in McConaughey’s roles. Essentially, the Oscar winner stated that being loose with the script is the key to great acting.

It's abundantly clear by his busy acting schedule that Matthew McConaughey’s techniques and practices have paid off for him. So he’s an excellent source for anyone wanting to break into Hollywood. Hopefully the actor will continue to give some acting insight and pointers on his YouTube channel.

Adreon Patterson
News Writer

A boy from Greenwood, South Carolina. CinemaBlend Contributor. An animation enthusiast (anime, US and international films, television). Freelance writer, designer and artist. Lover of music (US and international).