"When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you," Matthew McConaughey said quoting late (British actor) Charles Laughton.
Matthew McConaughey may be an award-winning star but he isn't forgetting his humble roots anytime soon and loves spending time with his family. McConaughey married model Camila Alves in 2012 and the pair have three children. Alves and her Oscar-winning husband share sons Levi, 14 and Livingston, 10 and a daughter, Vida, 13.
To the actor, quiet time is incredibly precious as a career in Hollywood is far from relaxed. "You know what, that quietness at the beginning can be loud," he told Travel and Leisure adding that people can get "uncomfortable" in silence. But he advises people to "stay. Let the quietness be loud. Let it settle. It'll get quiet. Once it gets quiet you can enjoy that without having to fill the moment with words or fill it with noise." He added, "That's usually when it's like OK, I got something from this. It's OK for me to re-engage with my busy, busy life."
The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actor is also a strong believer in the Christian faith. While appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience to promote the release of his memoir Greenlights, he told the host he “hasn’t had any difficulties” as a vocal Christian in a more liberal industry but admitted there has been some discomfort. "I have had moments where I was on stage receiving an award in front of my peers in Hollywood and there were people in the crowd that I have prayed with before dinners, many times," McConaughey explained. "And when I thank God, I saw some of those people go to clap, but then notice that, 'This could be a bad thing on my resume,' and then sit back on their hands."
However, the Interstellar star doesn't judge them for it and doesn't let it affect his own faith. To him, God has “graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand.” The actor added, "He has shown me that it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.” He further said, “In the words of the late (British actor) Charles Laughton, who said, 'When you got God you got a friend and that friend is you.'" In an interview with Relevant Magazine in 2020, he confirmed that he is “a believer. I believe in God.” McConaughey added that he believes his faith journey requires a level of personal responsibility.
“God’s laying out the highways, but we each have our hand on the wheel,” he shared. “I look at Earth. I look at the little dot that we are on the planet. The world’s turning. And we’re that little individual on the planet. That smallness can make you go, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m nothing. None of what I do matters',” McConaughey said. “But, a place of humility is actually when you realize, ‘Oh, it all matters.’ There’s great empowerment that comes with that.”
References:
https://www.travelandleisure.com/matthew-mcconaughey-longbranch-ranch-texas-hill-country-6830955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBCl9A9NlRw&ab_channel=PowerfulJRE
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer
