The reasons are rather sweet when you think about it
Actor Matthew McConaughey has revealed that his decision to move away from Hollywood came down to some selfless and wholesome reasons.
Matthew McConaughey is a very solid pair of hands when it comes to giving a brilliantly dramatic performance in a film.
So, you would be forgiven for thinking he is constantly rubbing shoulders with writers, directors and producers in Hollywood bars and parties, but this idea is actually quite off.
The star decided to move from his home in Malibu, California, for Texas back in 2014, despite the fact much of the work for the film industry comes to life on the west coast in Hollywood.
The actor recently spoke about what drove his decision to move while on the TV show
TODAY
with Hoda & Jenna
.
Matthew McConaughey said he always intended to return to Texas (Rick Kern/Getty Images)
The October 24 episode was filmed on location in Austin, Texas, and McConaughey said: “This has always been home, I mean, there’s multiple reasons for that.
“I mean, this is where I have a great relationship with time – meaning 60 seconds feels like a minute, a mile feels like a mile.”
Sounds like the idea of a ‘Hollywood minute’ is less appealing to the actor at this point in his life.
The actor, who was born in Uvalde, Texas, and raised in Longview, Texas, said his decision to move back to the state was connected to his family, most notably his children.
His mother, 92, and his brothers live in the state in Houston and Midland.
McConaughey continued: “Our family unit is here, we have resources and a backbone of security here.”
He added that he had always intended to move back to the state as he was growing his family with his Brazilian model wife, Camila Alves. The couple have three children together, Levi, 15, Vida, 14 and Livingston, 11.
Matthew McConaughey praised Austin as a great place to raise his children (Rick Kern/Getty Images)
The pair got married at their home in Austin back in 2012 and decided to move back there from California only two years later.
McConaughey praised Austin for its welcoming nature and said it was a ‘very creative city in a state that is very structured.’
He added: “I wanted them to have what I grew up around.
“There’s a solid … amount of common sense that runs through it, it’s untalked about, but we understand it here.
“The rule in Austin is ‘Be You’ – that’s always been the rule in this city – and we should make sure that that remains the rule – just ‘Be You.’”
Conversation
Cameron Diaz explains why she decided to quit acting for 11 years
The actor’s first movie in over a decade is set for release next year
Cameron Diaz has lifted the lid on why she stepped back from acting for over a decade.
Diaz shot to fame in the 1990s after starring in the likes of
The Mask, There’s Something About Mary,
and
My Best Friend’s Wedding,
before going on to further carve a stellar career for herself in the years that followed.
Other notable movies she’s starred in include the
Shrek
and
Charlie’s Angels
franchises, as well as
My Sister’s Keeper, The Other Woman
and
The Holiday
(to name a few).
After starring in dozens of films over a 20-year period, Diaz decided to take a well-earned break.
While many questioned if the 52-year-old would ever return to acting, she started filming
Back in Action
with Jamie Foxx in 2022. The highly anticipated Netflix movie will be released in January 2025.
Now, Diaz has addressed her years-long break from acting and shared why she felt that it was ‘something [she] had to do’.
Speaking to Variety, the
Bad Teacher
star said: “It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else.”
Cameron Diaz came out of retirement to star in her new Netflix movie, Back in Action (Presley Ann/Getty Images for Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit)
Diaz continued: “Nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have.
“It really comes to: What are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family.”
Diaz is married to Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden. The celebrity pair tied the knot in 2015 following a whirlwind romance.
They’ve since welcomed a daughter and son via surrogate. Raddix was born in December 2019, and their son Cardinal was welcomed into the world in March 2024.
Diaz shares two children with her husband Benji Madden (Ricky Vigil M/GC Images)
Taking to Instagram to announce the birth of their second child earlier this year, Madden, 45, penned: “We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our Son, Cardinal Madden.
“He is awesome and We are all so happy he is here! For the kids safety and privacy we won’t be posting any pictures – but he’s a really cute. We are feeling so blessed and grateful.”
As well as
Back in Action,
Diaz is also poised to reprise her role of Fiona in
Shrek
for its upcoming fifth film.
DreamWorks, the animation studio behind the well-loved franchise, confirmed that another movie was in the works in July. It will be released in July 2026.
Zac Efron honors Matthew Perry at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
The star of High School Musical paid tribute to Matthew Perry at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
Zac Efron has paid tribute to Matthew Perry during the ceremony for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The star of
High School Musical
had been having his ceremony on December 11 when he made the sweet tribute.
In it, he thanked Perry, who he had worked with when the pair starred in
17 Again
together.
Tributes have poured in to the late
Friends
actor Perry after he was found dead in his hot tub on October 28.
At the unveiling ceremony, Efron said: “I really also want to mention someone that is not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me when we worked on
17 Again
.
“Collaborating with him and [director Burr Steers] — it was so much fun and it really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways. It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career, for that, thank you so much Matthew.”
Perry had previously said that he had expressed his desire that Efron would play him in a biopic.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Efron said he ‘would be honored’ to play Perry.
He said: “I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him.
“We’ll see. I’d be honored to do it. He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together.”
He added: “I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy. I mean, when we were filming
17 Again
it was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there, because I’ve learned so much from him, from his whole life.”
Jennifer Aniston has shared with Variety that Perry had been ‘happy’ at the time of his death.
She said: “He was happy. He was healthy. He had quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy – that’s all I know.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The
Friends
co-star added: “I was literally texting with him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He wasn’t struggling. He was happy.
“I want people to know he was really healthy, and getting healthy. He was on a pursuit. He worked so hard.”
Perry’s co-stars in
Friends
paid tribute to the late actor in a joint statement after news of his death emerged.
They wrote: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family.
“There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able.
“For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Featured Image Credit: TOMMASO BODDI/AFP via Getty Images/ Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Man who spent $1,000,000 fixing cruise ship before finding major issue explains why he doesn’t regret it
Chris Willson bought the Aurora cruise ship in 2008 and had plans to turn it into a museum
A man who bought a giant cruise ship on Craigslist and wasted a million dollars on repairs doesn’t regret it.
In 2008, Chris Willson found a historic cruise ship for sale on Craigslist and decided that he was going to restore it and turn it into a museum.
The Utah native even ended up living on the vessel and kept it moored in the California Delta during the restoration process.
The ship was initially named Wappen von Hamburg some decades ago and was actually the first significant passenger liner to come out of Germany following World War II, but the project was doomed from the start.
By 2012, Chris had ‘gotten quite a way’ into restoring the 293-foot vessel and named it Aurora.
The entrepreneur told CNN: “I think we had 10 areas solidly restored and refurnished meticulously. These were kind of major areas. So we were pretty proud of that.”
The Aurora was bought in 2008 (Facebook/ Christopher Willson)
Chris estimated that he spent over $1 million on the restoration himself, as well as accepting small donations.
But he had to let it go, and sold it for around $20 to a volunteer who was a mechanic.
After a military tugboat that had been sat alongside Aurora sank, it sparked a ‘pollution issue’, Chris decided to sell the ship as he couldn’t justify the ‘million dollars worth’ it could cost to relocate.
“We absolutely loved our time with that ship. [Selling it] was probably the hardest thing I’ve done in my life,” he said at the time. “It haunts me and I lose sleep over it. I’m not happy about it.”
After 15 years of hard work, it went on to suffer an even greater loss.
A hole in the ship.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office shared that Aurora had begun ‘sinking’.
The post stated: “It has been determined the ship has suffered a hole and is taking on water and is currently leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway.
“Our Boating Safety Unit and ground units are currently on scene coordinating efforts to contain the spill.”
He lived in the boat during the restoration process (Christopher Willson)
According to the news, contractors tossed everything on Aurora into trash bins and it’s unclear who the latest owner is.
But despite the tragedy, Chris doesn’t ‘regret’ it.
He told Business Insider: “The whole project morphed into something really cool for a long time. The knowledge I gained from that ship is quite impressive. I would have stayed out there and been part of that boat forever.
“I’m pretty sad about the whole situation, but I believe things happen for a reason. Although I don’t regret a single minute of my time on it, I knew I needed to leave before I started to feel regret.
“It was time to move on and start another project.”
This year he explained how he was offered a 300-foot sailboat, but he thinks he’ll ‘stay on land for a while’.
He said: “I’m now looking for something like a theater or perhaps an old church to be my next project — something historically significant with some character.”
Matthew McConaughey Explains Why He Turned Down $14.5 Million Offer To Star In Movie
How to lose $14.5 million in 10 days…
Matthew McConaughey has opened up about why he turned down a whopping $14.5 million to star in a movie.
In a conversation with entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, the
True Detective
star opened up about his earlier movie career, describing the moment he realised he was ‘Romantic Comedy Guy’.
As you’ll likely know, McConaughey started off starring in films such as
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
and
The
Wedding Planner
.
The actor made a conscious decision in 2010 to change his reputation and move into more heavyweight roles – but doing so came at a cost.
Speaking about being the romcom guy, McConaughey said: “And I’m owning this, because I’m like, ‘You’re damn right, those romcoms are paying for the house that I’m renting on the beach that I’m going shirtless on.’ Guilty of that, you know?”
But he decided he had to quit doing what he’d been doing, telling his agent and his crew, “I’m not doing those anymore.”
McConaughey’s departure from the world of romcoms wasn’t easy, and he didn’t find work for over a year.
While he stuck to his guns and refused to take on another film within the genre during that time, he said the industry ‘really got the message’ when he turned down a $14.5 million offer.