How ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ changed Matthew McConaughey’s life forever
(Credit: Netflix)

Films

How ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ changed Matthew McConaughey’s life forever

“Alright, alright, alright,” is a quote that almost everybody on the planet can correctly attribute to Matthew McConaughey. The iconic Texan actor made the line famous when he appeared in Richard Linklater’s legendary coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused. For a long time, the quote wasn’t just a spiffy phrase to spew out at the most pleasing of circumstances as they arise; it also typified McConaughey’s career on screen.

The actor, who was quickly snaffled up as a Hollywood heartthrob during the late 1990s, seemed destined to the dustbin of once-good-looking leading men when father time eventually began taking his looks. However, he turned his attention away from the plethora of rom-com roles thrown his way and dedicated himself to making one of the most profound films of his career, Dallas Buyers Club.

Career transformations don’t come as dramatically as that of Matthew McConaughey, converting his identity from an icon of eye candy to one of Hollywood’s most impressive leading actors. The unofficial rallying cry of Matthew McConaughey’s revival donned ‘The McConaissance’, outlining his career transformation.

The start of this journey came in 2014 with the release of the astounding Dallas Buyers Club, which saw the actor picking up the Oscar for Best Actor, during which he recited his three-word mantra with a smile, knowing he had changed his life forever. Captivating critics and audiences in practically every current role he undertakes, just how did Matthew McConaughey become the treasured actor we love today? Through one vital role: Ron.

From 2008 – 2013, Matthew McConaughey defined his career, transforming himself from Hollywood fodder to the top-billed leading man, all thanks to the spark of Tropic Thunder. Whilst Killer Joe, Mud and Magic Mike helped to formulate the actor’s new identity, it was Dallas Buyers Club that would consolidate his change.

Winning him his first Academy Award for Best Actor, Matthew McConaughey’s transformative performance as AIDS campaigner Ron Woodroof alongside Jared Leto’s Rayon, is nothing short of spectacular. Completing his transition into a fully-fledged icon of contemporary cinema, Dallas Buyers Club proved to be a culmination of the actor’s efforts, finishing the metamorphosis with a flourish.

Little did the actor know, this would start just the beginning of his reign. Talking about the picture he told the BBC: “I’m proud of the films I’ve been able to be in – from The Wolf of Wall Street to Mud to Dallas Buyers Club.” Before noting of the latter, “It’s vital. it has translated, it has communicated with people, it’s become personal with people. That’s something I’m very proud of.”

Watch Dallas Buyers Club on Netflix now