Born in Uvalde, Texas on November 4, 1969, actor Matthew McConaughey has appeared in some of Hollywood's most popular films. McConaughey grew up in Longview as the youngest son of a teacher and the owner of an oil pipe supply business. McConaughey originally studied to be a lawyer at the University of Texas. The actor cites reading Og Mandino's motivational book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, as his inspiration to change his major and career path from law to film.                                                                                          Prior to his 1993 breakout role as Wooderson in Richard Linklater's cult classic Dazed and Confused, McConaughey acted in commercials and student films. Throughout his career, he has performed in, produced, and directed over fifty feature films. His select filmography includes John Sayles's  Lone Star, Contact, How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days, Magic Mike, Killer Joe, Wolf of Wall Street, and Richard Linklater's Bernie, in which he played small town Texas attorney Danny Buck and his mother had a cameo. He also achieved popular and critical success for his role as Detective Rust Cohle on HBO's True Detective in 2014. McConaughey won both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actor In a Leading Role for his portrayal of a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS in Dallas Buyer's Club in 2013. In addition to his film career, McConaughey established the j.k. livin Foundation in 2008. The Foundation is dedicated to teaching high school students the importance of active living and healthy decisions.