Matthew McConaughey Weighs Political Future in Talks with Governors

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A dream deferred isn’t necessarily a dream denied for Matthew McConaughey.

The actor joined a panel discussion on Friday at the National Governors Association alongside Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox and Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis. The discussion centered on promoting civility in politics.

McConaughey kept his political affiliations and future aspirations vague, according to Politico. In 2022, he had hinted at a possible run for Texas governor.

“I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years,” he told New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who asked about his plans. “Do I have the instincts and intellect that it would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it. You know, would I be useful?”

McConaughey acknowledged he was learning a lot at the meeting.

“I learned a lot from you last night through that tequila, sir,” he jested with Murphy, who had mentioned drinking McConaughey’s tequila with him.

The panel discussed the growing need for politicians to grab attention online. McConaughey pointed out that the extreme polarization often seen online has seeped into Hollywood.

“My industry has to watch its tongue out of the gate because it’s coming from the left. We have to open that conversation with our opening statements and not invalidate a moderate or conservative at the gate, which we’re guilty of, to an extent,” McConaughey admitted.

Hawaii’s Democratic Governor Josh Green encouraged McConaughey to consider running for office in the future.

“Don’t fall into the trap to think you should be just one thing,” said Green. “A lot of Republicans will want you to be Republican and a lot of Democrats will want you to be a Democrat, just be you because that might be something special for all of us.”