Matthew McConaughey has revealed that he once spent two days in the desert reading 20 years of negative reviews about his acting career.
The 56-year-old actor shared the experience during a recent appearance on the Build or Break podcast, hosted by Daniel Lubetzky.
McConaughey explained that he had collected two decades of reviews into a thick book before heading to the desert for a weekend, where he focused entirely on the negative ones.
“I took them on as a thick book… not all the positive, the negative ones, and I sat with them,” he said.
“It’s all I took, and I spent two days looking at them, and it was hard.”
The Oscar-winning actor admitted that while some of the reviews were difficult to read, the experience helped him understand the difference between criticism that was personal and feedback that could actually help him improve.
He explained that some reviewers appeared to have already formed an opinion about him, regardless of the film or his performance.
However, others made points he felt were worth considering.
“I was like, ‘This person got a point,'” he recalled, explaining that some critics had identified areas where his performance had not achieved what he intended.
McConaughey said he appreciated reviewers who looked at his work objectively, even when their comments were negative.
He also acknowledged that not everyone who criticised him was necessarily interested in giving constructive feedback.
According to Fortune, the actor’s team confirmed that the trip took place around 2018 or 2019, while he was working on his memoir, Greenlights.
McConaughey began his Hollywood career with Dazed and Confused in 1993 and later appeared in films including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Lincoln Lawyer and Interstellar.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2014 for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.
During the podcast, he also discussed his decision to move away from romantic comedies and pursue more dramatic roles, a career change that eventually led to some of his most recognised performances.
Source: Khaleej Times