Kherz’den Humphrey
Editor-In-Chief
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey is written about McConaughey by McConaughey. Published in 2020, it’s a nontraditional memoir filled with stories, memories, pictures, poems and insights. Greenlights is the playbook of adventures throughout 50 years of Matthew’s life.
“This book is about greenlights and realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green.” McConaughey. 304 pages, 8 parts, 52 real photos, and countless poems and handwritten works. Heartfelt stories and memories that let the reader journey through life and adventures that McConaughey experienced.
Matthew McConaughey is many things; son, brother, husband, father, but he is most known for his roles in countless Blockbuster movies. From his very first role in Dazed and Confused as Wooderson, to winning an Oscar for best actor, and everything in between. McConaughey is so much more than an actor, and Greenlights is the perfect way to learn all that he is.
When I picked up Greenlights for the first time, I expected it to be filled to the brim with facts and secrets about the life of Matthew McConaughey. Instead I opened it up to find stories and moments of his life that had probably only been shared with his private circle I felt as through I was living through each moment with him from the real photos and personal thoughts that were shared.
McConaughey tells stories about all the important people people in his life; his parents and brothers, those who took a chance on him in acting, his loving wife and their children and so many others. He gives a look into the life of an actor, telling the difference between a good script and the perfect script. He also gives insight on how he truly turns into each character rather than just playing the part.
Known for his roles in Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, Dazed and Confused, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, The Wolf of Wall Street and so many more McConaughey has a well rounded acting career. Although, in the beginning he started out wanting to be a lawyer, and even went to school to become one. In Greenlights he tells the story of what made him change paths, and how his journey began.
Fully devoted to living the best life possible, he has expanded his career in great lengths. In 2008 Matthew and wife Camila founded the j.k.livin foundation, he is also the professor and creator of Script to Screen, a film production class, at University of Texas at Austin. McConaughey is the Minister of Culture, which is another title he has created, as well as being a brand ambassador for Lincoln Motor Company. The list of titles he holds just keeps growing as time goes on.
At 52, Matthew McConaughey is far from finished. There is no doubt that there will be plenty more adventures for him to go on and we haven’t seen the last of him yet. In fact, coming out December 7th, 2021, Greenlights: Your Journal, Your Journey is coming out, a prompted journal that connects with the memoir as readers are guided through their own journaling experience. Since beginning to journal at age 15, Matthew encourages others to start as well, so that they themselves can remember their memories later on.
I would 110% recommend Greenlights to anyone even remotely interested in reading it. There is so much depth and detail in the life of Matthew McConaughey, that really opens readers eyes to the reality of acting. Greenlights shows that even though many only know him for his acting or being a brand ambassador, McConaughey is so much more. Getting to know who he is through his memoir was a great experience and will be a book a read time and time again.
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