“Greenlights mean go.” If there was anything that got us through the turbulent period that was 2020 and eased us back into the New Year, it was Matthew McConaughey narrating his own book, Greenlights. As far as memoirs and autobiographies go, it wasn’t the most profound or thought-provoking. There were no epiphanies that had us changing the course of our life. There were, however, some outrageously funny moments, including an exchange trip to Australia that painted us Aussies in a far from glorious light. If you haven’t read it, just know that Australia caused Matthew McConaughey, a man as close to physical perfection as you can get, to go celibate. For a year.
Despite having an Oscar to his name, Matthew McConaughey has been spending a greater part of his time celebrating his book and sharing his words with the world. Now, perhaps leaning into the new direction his life has taken in recent months, the 51-year-old expressed on an episode of The Balanced Podcast that he’s considering running for Governor of Texas. Already a film professor at the University of Texas since 2019 and the founder of a non-profit foundation for high school students, McConaughey said he wanted to take up “more leadership roles.”
The actor explained, “Because I do think I have some things to teach and do and share. What is my role, and category, in the next chapter of life that I’m going into now?”
While he didn’t elaborate too much on the details of a potential run, he’d likely have to act soon. The Texas gubernatorial election will take place in November 2022 and, should he be successful, McConaughey would unseat incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Former Texas congress representative and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke also expressed a possible run for governor.
In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt at the close of 2020, McConaughey first expressed his desire to run for governor of Texas. “I would say this: Look, politics seems to be a broken business to me right now.” If you recall his interview on The Project, McConaughey told the panel that he didn’t wish to answer the question about his thoughts on Trump, simply because the interview didn’t allow enough time for him to really get into it. He has yet to publicly acknowledge his political affiliation, but has called for a need for “aggressive centrism” in the past.
If he does run, McConaughey would follow in the footsteps of celebrities like Cynthia Nixon, Kanye West, and even former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s anyone’s guess how well he’d do, considering that he divulged in Greenlights that he was arrested in Texas for “resisting transportation” after first being under suspicion of marijuana possession (you’ll want to read this book, seriously, it’s wild). Yet again, it seems celebrities continue to prove that the quest for world dominance runs deep within the industry. It may be that no one asked for it, but here we are, regardless.
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