Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey, Kay McConaughey and C.J. Carlig seen at the 28th Annual American Cinematheque Awards Honoring Matthew McConaughey held at The Beverly Hilton on Tuesday, Oct 21, 2014, in Beverly Hills. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for American Cinematheque/AP Images)

Matthew McConaughey's Mom on Raising Her Famous Son: 'What a Blessing He Is'

Kay McConaughey raised three boys, and one of them just so happened to be Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey. When her children were growing up, one of the main things she concentrated on as a parent was positive thinking. 

"I have always been a positive thinker," McConaughey told TODAY in 2019. "And that's what I would say, the power of positive thinking. Use it, be it, do it, OK? When you start thinking negative, you know, it pulls you down, just like being around negative people."

Things weren't always easy for McConaughey's mom though, especially her road to motherhood. It was hard enough to conceive her first child, Michael, and after years of difficulty she and her husband (who divorced twice but remarried twice) adopted Patrick 10 years later. Out of nowhere, 7 years later, she found herself pregnant again, this time with Matthew. 

"I mean, what a blessing he is," she described her son. "This child is a gift from God, and that's what the word 'Matthew' means, 'gift of God.'"

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McConaughey ironically limited her boys to only one hour of tv time before dinner, wanting them to spend more time outside. Matthew had actually wanted to be a lawyer before Hollywood showed up with another offer. 

"Nobody even thought about [acting] in our family," McConaughey explained. "We were all jocks. [Matthew] wanted to be a lawyer, until [casting director] Don Phillips saw him in a bar. He said, 'I need someone to play Wooderson in this movie, 'Dazed and Confused.'" And Matthew said, 'Sure, I'll do it."'

What a wild ride it was for McConaughey's son after that random scouting. He went on to star in films like InterstellarLincoln Lawyer (Matthew's mom's favorite), A Time to Kill, and won his Oscar for Best Actor in Dallas Buyer's Club. He also settled down with his wife Camila Alves and had two sons of his own, along with one daughter. 

One of the sweetest things about McConaughey is that she has a dedicated memory room with items from Matthew's career. Memorabilia, photos of the two of them, and more. I'm assuming there has to be a People cover from when he won Sexiest Man Alive in 2005. 

All in all, Kay McConaughey is one proud mom, of all her sons. 

 "I've never had any problems with them. They're not perfect, and I'm sure that they did stuff that I didn't know, and I'm glad I don't know it. But they are well-behaved and pleasant to be around. They have all turned out really well. Heck, they're not in prison. They're not in jail, are they?"

This article was originally published in September of 2019.

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