Matthew McConaughey's Bid For Texas Governor Just Took An Unexpected Turn

Matthew McConaughey sparked rumors that he might have a future in politics during an interview with Hugh Hewitt in November 2020. The interview came on the heels of the release of the actor's New York Times bestselling memoir, "Greenlights." When Hewitt asked McConaughey if he would ever "run for anything," the "Dallas Buyers Club" actor responded, "It would be up to the people more than it would me ... politics seems to be a broken business to me right now. And when politics redefines its purpose, I could be ... a lot more interested." He concluded that he wasn't sure if politics would be the best "avenue" for him, but didn't completely close the door. 

More recently, this past spring, it seemed that McConaughey had done some more serious thinking on the subject of running for governor of Texas, stating in an interview with NBC News' Al Roker that he was thinking of making a bid. Fast-forward a few months and, in the beginning of October, McConaughey gave yet another interview with Kara Swisher on her podcast "Sway," per The New York Times. He discussed his views on the current political climate in the United States, once again calling the system "broken," yet refused to plant himself on one side of the debate. While not confirming definitively if he would run for governor, the "Interstellar" actor said he was "measuring" it. This past weekend, McConaughey finally revealed his decision on the matter in a video he posted to Instagram.

In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday, Matthew McConaughey announced that he had decided not to run for the governorship in Texas at this point in time. He stated specifically that running for public office was a "path that I'm choosing not to take." The actor also expressed his surprise and delight at even being in a position to consider the role, telling his followers, "It never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership. It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder." 

McConaughey's decision not to run for governor came after he had been "listening ... learning ... measuring and studying Texas politics and American politics," he says in his video. While doing this, he decided he could do more for his community "by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations." One of the ways he will likely continue to serve his community is through his just keep livin Foundation, which aims to "empower high school students" through after-school fitness programs, per the foundation's official website.

It may be just as well that the actor has opted out of potentially running against Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O'Rourke. Texas political consultant Keir Murray told The Hollywood Reporter that McConaughey would have risked damaging his brand by moving into politics. "... as soon as you dip your toe in the political pool people start to hate you," Murray said.