Matthew McConaughey Tells Governors He’s Still Weighing Political Future

For Matthew McConaughey, a dream deferred is not necessarily a dream denied.

The actor took part in a panel discussion on Friday at the National Governors Association with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat. The topic: how to promote civility in politics.

McConaughey remained coy about potential party affiliation and which office he may see, according to a report by Politico. He hinted in 2022 that he was thinking about running for governor in Texas.

“I’m on a learning tour and have been for probably the last six years,” McConaughey told New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat 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 for it. You know, would I be useful?”

McConaughey allowed that he was learning a lot at the meeting.

“I learned a lot from you last night through that tequila, sir,” he kidded Murphy, who’d brought up drinking McConaughey’s tequila with him.

The panell discussed how politicians’ need to grab attention online. McConaughey said that extreme polarization sometimes seen online seen has bled 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 said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, encouraged McConaughey to someday run.

“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.”