Matthew McConaughey never will forget the inspiring Oscars speech he gave eight years ago during Hollywood’s glitziest night. And to think, he had no speech prepared when he accepted the award for Best Actor.
To this point in his career, McConaughey was best known for his frothy rom-com roles and for that iconic line — “Alright, Alright, Alright.” But Academy voters loved how he portrayed Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. The movie was based on a true story set in the 80s that reflected all the anxiety and fright as AIDS began impacting the country. Woodroof had AIDS. He began smuggling in unapproved treatments for himself. And he shared them with other patients.
On Sunday, Matthew McConaughey remembered that Oscars speech. It was the perfect time for the self-reflection given that the Academy Awards are tonight.
McConaughey captioned the video clip: “keep chasing.”
The Matthew McConaughey Oscars Speech Had It All
McConaughey basically is providing play-by-play that picks up right after Jennifer Lawrence announced the Best Actor nominees. Here’ who else earned nominations: Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo Di Caprio (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).
“I don’t think it was in my mind about oh I’m getting nervous if I don’t win or they don’t call my name,” McConaughey said. “That time is coming.”
“I realize that right before, when they were calling the names of the possible best actors, oh, my name is the only one that starts with an M. If you hear the words mmmm, that would be great news.”
Cameras showed each of the nominees. There was McConaughey in his white dinner jacket, leaning back as he waited to hear the mmmmmm’s.
“I had quite a release right then of joy, probably some tears,” he said. “Then I moved up. And (then was in) that wonderful position to be able to go up on that stage and be able to accept an award given to me by my peers. People I admire whose work I admire. It said, yep, excellent work, excellent craftsmanship, yes A-plus.”
Actor Said He’s Always Chasing His Hero — That’s Him in 10 Years
Then Matthew McConaughey chatted about the actual Oscars speech. “I remember not having any speech, It would be a bit arrogant or a coup de grace to have something written. It was like, nah, that’s not for me to do. That’s a little presumptuous.”
For someone who had no speech prepared, McConaughey certainly gave a powerful talk.
“First of all, I want to thank God, that’s who I look up to. My family, that’s who and what I look forward to. And to my hero, that’s who I chase.”
And McConaughey defines that hero. It’s always his best self in 10 years. “For me, it’s the mortal version of who I’m going to become. … I’m never going to beat my hero. … I know I’m not and that’s just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing. “
Then McConaughey circled back to the beginning. “For what I thought might be a one-night hobby, that I’d never do again, which turned about to be 29 years later a career that I love. I’m honored to sign off now because it calls back to a beginning for me.”
This is how he finished his 547-word speech: “So to any of us, whatever those things are, whatever it is we look up to, whatever it is we look forward to and whoever it is we’re chasing, to that I say Amen, to that I say alright, alright, alright.”
