Matthew McConaughey on six-year hiatus from acting: 'Needed to write my own story'

Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey is back. After stepping away from live-action roles for six years, the Academy Award-winning actor made his return with The Rivals of Amziah King, which released on OTT on Monday.

His absence from the screen wasn’t a retreat but a deliberate pause—one that saw him pen his memoir, Greenlights, lend his voice to films like Sing 2, and focus on family life. Now, as he steps back in front of the camera, McConaughey admits the transition was not entirely seamless.

“I needed to write my own story, direct my own story on the page,” he explained, reflecting on his time away.

However, returning to a live-action role after such a long break came with its challenges. The last time audiences saw him in a leading role was in 2019’s The Gentlemen, a Guy Ritchie crime drama where he played an American expat navigating the London underworld. The film was a critical and commercial success, but McConaughey chose to put acting on hold shortly after. And so, his return with The Rivals of Amziah King has been nothing short of a rediscovery.

“I remembered a couple of things. One, how much I truly enjoy performing. Two, I remembered, hey, McConaughey, you’re pretty damn good at this. And three, I remembered that acting is a vacation for me, and what I mean by vacation is that when I’m performing, it’s my singular focus,” he shared.

McConaughey also credited his wife for supporting his decision to return, recalling how she reassured him as he left for work: “Go kick some ass. I got the kiddos. We’re good.” This unwavering support, combined with the sheer joy of acting, made his comeback all the more fulfilling.