After starring in a string of “breezy” romantic-comedies in the late 2000s, Matthew McConaughey faced a $10.5 million decision: continue taking his shirt off in creatively unfulfilling movies, or try something more challenging.
He chose the latter (although, to be fair, no one has ever been more shirtless than Dallas from Magic Mike).
McConaughey began taking roles in auteur-driven fare like Killer Joe, Bernie, and Mud, leading to the “McConaissance.” In a new interview, the Texas icon claims he came up with the “self-marketing” term himself.
McConaughey recalled on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast that while he was promoting Mud at a film festival, a reporter told him, “You’re on a roll right now, man. It needs a name of something.” He replied, “Yeah, I was talking to this guy a minute ago and he actually called it the McConaissance.” McConaughey was telling a little lie, but “I threw it out there and he goes, ‘The McConaissance, I love that! You like that?’ And I go, ‘Yeah, sounds good, man.’ So I snuck it in there and the sonofabitch, it stuck. So I made that up.”
We could all learn a thing or two about marketing from McConaughey — and we probably will at his The Art of Livin’ event.
You can listen to the podcast below.
(Via Insider)