My friends, be thankful for the age in which you live, for we are in the midst of a glorious time period; the stories from which shall be passed down from generation to generation.
Right now, in the year of our lord two thousand and fifteen, is the peak of the new golden era, the height of an age of prosperity, it is right this very moment that we are all experiencing the McConnaissance. Together, we get to witness the sheer heights that the greatest phoenix of all time in Matthew McConaughey can soar to. His profile shimmering in a sun that shines for him. A vision. An inspiration. A triumph.
‘Course long before the career resurgence to end all career resurgences, even long before box office peak number one with the string of mostly schmaltzy but financially fruitful romcoms featuring himself leaning backwards against his female counterpart on the poster, McConaughey was a laid back, bronzed Texan Adonis, fresh off a stint in Australia where he developed a love for Test Cricket (seriously).
The story goes that a 23 year-old McConaughey met a casting director at a Hyatt hotel bar that McConaughey’s buddy tended bar at and would give him free beer. The casting director was working on an (at the time) upcoming project called Dazed and Confused. He brought McConaughey in for an audition, and thus the iconic character of Wooderson was brought to life.
His audition tape for the role has surfaced all these years later thanks to the Criterion Collection, and it’s clear from the moment that blonde, chiselled face appears on screen that he was a goddamned star in the making. Seriously, the amount of charisma that young man had even way back then is positively criminal.
Pause momentarily here to go have a cold shower because HNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG.
Legend has it that after the success of the Richard Linklater-directed Dazed, McConaughey drove to Hollywood to become an actor and booked two roles in his first two auditions, belying everything you’ve ever heard about struggling actors paying their dues.
Some people are simply born with it. The rest of us just have to keep livin’, man. L-I-V-I-N.
via FilmDrunk.
