At a Glance
- Matthew McConaughey drew inspiration for his breakout character from a memory of his older brother.
- The 1993 film Dazed and Confused earned $8 million at the box office and launched McConaughey’s career.
- The actor recalled the moment on a January 7 episode of Where Everybody Knows Your Name.
- Why it matters: The story reveals how a simple childhood observation can shape a defining performance.
On the January 7 episode of Where Everybody Knows Your Name, hosted by Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey reflected on how a memory of his older brother Pat when he was 10 years old inspired his iconic role as David Wooderson in the 1993 coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused.
McConaughey, 56, first appeared in the film as a student at the University of Texas in Austin. He recalled a night at the rooftop bar of the Hyatt where a film-school classmate worked as a bartender. The bartender mentioned that casting director Don Phillips was present, prompting McConaughey to approach him.
“3 and 1/2 hours later, we get kicked out,” McConaughey remembered. “We’d started talking about golf, and Phillips jumped on a table to demonstrate his swing.”
After a cab ride home, Phillips asked, “Hey, you ever done any acting?” McConaughey answered that he had been in a Miller Light commercial, which Phillips considered acting. He was told he might be right for a role in Dazed and Confused.
Phillips described Wooderson as “out of high school, but he still likes the high school girls,” and directed McConaughey to a specific address at 9:30 a.m. the next morning. The script was waiting with a handwritten note: “Hey, Matthew, great night last night. I read this part. You might be right for it.”
McConaughey read the script. He described a scene where Wooderson sits outside a pool hall, talking to his buddies, watching girls walk by, and commenting on their backsides. Wooderson’s friend warns him that the comment could land him in jail, but Wooderson insists it’s part of his charm.
“There’s Wooderson and one of the scenes was him sitting outside of the pool hall, talking to his buddies. And girls walk by, and he leans over and checks out their backsides and his buddy says, ‘Wooderson, you got to cut that out, man. You’re going to go to jail, man.’ And Wooderson says, ‘No, man. That’s what I love about them high school girls, man. I get older, but they stay the same age.'”
McConaughey noted that the line was a launchpad for the character, helping him understand Wooderson’s worldview.
“And I remember going, ‘Who is that guy?’ That line wasn’t to make everyone laugh, but was how Wooderson saw the world. You can write a book on that person,” he said.
He recalled a memory from when he was 10 years old. He was going with his mom to pick up his brother Pat at school, whose car was in the shop. Driving through campus, he looked out the back of a wood-paneled station wagon for Pat. About 200 yards away, he saw a shadowed figure leaning against a wall, smoking a cigarette.
“I can see the ember of this lazy finger cigarette hanging on these two hands. This guy’s leaning against the wall with his left leg, boot heel up against the wall, smoking. And I went, it’s my brother,” McConaughey recounted. He kept the sight to himself, knowing his mom would be upset.
In his 10-year-old eyes, the 17-year-old brother was a cooler version of James Dean, standing nine feet tall in his imagination. “That wasn’t who my brother was, but that, in my 10-year-old eyes, that’s who it was,” he explained.
McConaughey auditioned and secured the part. On his first day, he was present only for a hair and wardrobe test. Director Richard Linklater, 65, approved his look and asked him to jump into a scene.
Linklater asked, “I got this girl in the scene, she’s the redheaded intellectual played by Marissa Ribisi. She’s kind of pulling up. It’s last day of school. She’s with all her friends. They’re kind of nerdy. You think Wooderson would maybe pick her up?”
McConaughey said, “Wooderson likes all kinds of chicks,” and with only a few moments to prepare in Wooderson’s car, he improvised his first scene, delivering the now-iconic line, “Alright, alright, alright.”
“We pulled up, improvised that scene. Bunch of people laughed. Felt kind of good to me,” he said. Linklater kept inviting him back for more scenes.
When asked by Harrelson and Danson if he ever tires of people saying “Alright, alright, alright” to him, McConaughey answered simply, “Hell no.”
Dazed and Confused also starred Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, Joey Lauren Adams, and Anthony Rapp. The film grossed over $8 million at the box office and became McConaughey’s breakthrough.
Key Takeaways
- A childhood observation of a sibling can become the seed for a character.
- Improvisation played a major role in shaping McConaughey’s performance.
- The film’s success paved the way for McConaughey’s future career.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 7 | McConaughey discusses his role on Where Everybody Knows Your Name |
| 1993 | Release of Dazed and Confused |
| 1993 | McConaughey’s first day on set |
The Legacy
McConaughey’s candid reflection on the origins of Wooderson offers fans a rare glimpse into the creative process behind a cult classic. The actor’s willingness to improvise and draw from personal memory set a tone that resonated with audiences and established him as a prominent figure in Hollywood.
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