The Oscar-winner, 50, first earned recognition for his supporting role in 1993 coming-of-age comedy Dazed And Confused, before establishing himself as a box office draw in a series of romantic comedies.
McConaughey’s career evolved with more dramatic roles, leading to a best actor Academy Award win for his portrayal of a cowboy diagnosed with Aids in 2013 biopic Dallas Buyers Club.
Despite his glittering success, the Texan revealed he never set out to conquer Hollywood and believed acting would remain a hobby.
During an appearance on US TV, McConaughey discussed his late father’s influence, describing how he died five days into the shoot for Dazed And Confused.
He said: “So, at that time where I took on something, acting, I thought might just be a summer hobby, I might never do it again, he was alive five days into me shooting it.
“So he was alive when I started something that I thought might be a hobby but turned into a career. So, there’s a great serendipity in that for me.”
McConaughey, who has three sons with wife Camila Alves, also revealed he viewed becoming a father as a rite of passage.
“I always knew I wanted to be was a father,” he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “You become a father, you’re immortal. Your lineage lives on, you pass it on.”
The actor has written a memoir titled Greenlights. He describes it as an “aspirational book” about an approach to life.
“It’s stories, insights, philosophies” McConaughey said, saying it is like “taking a spaceship to Mars without needing a pilot’s licence”.
He added: “There’s a lot of good wisdom in it but advice is touchy. Nobody really wants to hear advice from a celebrity and nobody likes to be told what to do, especially me”.
