Matthew McConaughey has hinted at a potential political run for office.
The actor, 54, spoke during the National Governors Association 2024 summer meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 12.
The True Detective star, who recently admitted he nearly quit Hollywood, participated in a panel discussing how to promote civility in politics with bipartisan leaders.
When New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy asked him if he would ever officially get into politics, he responded, "Yes. I have thought about running for office, getting into this category."
He explained that he's been on a "learning tour" for the past six years to understand what political involvement would mean for him.
"Do I have instincts, intellect that would be a good fit for me and I would be a good fit for it? That would be useful," he said, according to the Associated Press.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green encouraged McConaughey to consider running, advising him not to feel pressured into aligning strictly with the Republican or Democratic parties.
"Please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to be just one thing, because I think you’re so, you know, warm and likeable," Green said.
"Just be you, because that might be something special for all of us."
McConaughey noted the polarisation in Hollywood, particularly with actors and directors expressing political opinions. "My industry has to watch its tongue out of the gate because it’s coming from the left," he said.
"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.”
The actor also commented on the current state of American politics, urging voters to amplify the voices of "the adults in the room" as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
"We seem to be in a bad situation right now," he said, according to The Hill.
"The extreme seems to be going further left and further right. Decency doesn’t seem to be on the table. Rules of engagement seem like they need to be renegotiated, re-established."
McConaughey also remarked on the entertainment factor in politics, suggesting that the government should not "look like an episode of The Real Housewives." He added,
"I understand it’s hard to market and sell success in how people negotiate, because it’s not as fun, it’s not as sexy, it’s not as exciting as the car wreck. We’re a nation of rubberneckers... I’m in the entertainment business. Our leadership and our leaders don’t need to be in the entertainment business."
In the past, the star expressed an interest in running for governor of Texas and also been outspoken about gun control, particularly after the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, his hometown, in May 2022.
McConaughey has not clearly stated his political affiliation.
