Matthew McConaughey posing for GQ (Photo: Peggy Sirota)

By Andrea Sturdivant

Flashing that award-winning smile and showing off his flawless physique in a denim collared shirt with black tie and corduroy pants,  Matthew McConaughey looks like a normal person.

McConaughey recently sat down and told all to GQ’s Brett Martin of his marriage to wife Camila, his love of sports, romantic comedies, and keeping a diary.

“I had to get to the point where I saw it as more than just the thing to do,” said McConaughey of marriage.  “I wanted to really want to.  You know, I didn’t want it to be a destination; the fun is that we’re on the adventure together. And look, some of it had to do with her putting it on me. It took her going, ‘C’mon, Big Boy, Mr. Easygoing-We’ll- Get-to-It-When-We-Get-to-It. either shit or get off the pot’”

McConaughey spoke about the love of fatherhood and being a father.

“It’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to be,” he admitted. “Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn. You know what’s important. I definitely got more selfish. And at the same time, I think I got more compassionate.”

McConaughey revealed that he keeps a diary that he often writes in.

“A man should always have his diary on him,” McConaughey said. “That way he’s guaranteed to always have something incredible to read.”

McConaughey has a love of sports that stems from being a longtime Washington Redskins fan. He says the debate for the team to change its name is twofold.

“What interests me is how quickly it got pushed into the social consciousness,” he explained. “We were all fine with it since the 1930s, and all of a sudden we go, ‘No, gotta change it?’ It seems like when the first levee breaks, everybody gets on board. I love the emblem. I dig it. It gives me a little fire and some oomph. But now that it’s in the court of public opinion, it’s going to change. I wish it wouldn’t, but it will.”

McConaughey spoke of his love of movies mostly romantic comedies.

“These things aren’t easy”, said McConaughey.  “What’s hard is to make them look easy. Those kinds of movies are what they are. They get pooh-poohed by critics. They get pooh-poohed by actors themselves. And in a way I get it, but in other ways it’s completely unfair.”

McConaughey admits he doesn’t have to work hard to maintain his infamous body.

“I have good genes,” McConaughey said.”My dad was an athlete. I got real fortunate with that. I haven’t used a weight in three years. Plus ten pounds, minus ten pounds—I can go bam, within a week.”

Surprisingly, he discloses he is not the most charismatic McConaughey. His eldest brother, Rooster—his name is Mike McConaughey, but people know him as Rooster—is a “genius” according to McConaughey.

“He just draws people to him,” said McConaughey.

McConaughey discussed his friendship with Lance Armstrong and admits they are still in contact, but not as much as they once were.

“I like people who are great at what they do,” said McConaughey. “At that time, we were two single men who were doing well in their careers and came from different places.”

McConaughey addresses on whether he feels he deserved an apology from Armstrong.

“To put my own emotions in front of this and go ‘You didn’t tell me the truth’ would be arrogant,” he stated. “And you know what? This is a friend. Who I know to be a good man. If there was an apology, it was said and I heard it.”

McConaughey offered up some final comments to close out the conversation.

“I am vain. I think vanity is a good thing. It’s done more good things for me than it has not.”

 Andrea Sturdivant can be reached at andrea.sturdivant06@yahoo.com