Matthew McConaughey reveals an eight-year hiatus from his mom over press leaks as family stars in Apple TV+ drama The Lost Bus

Matthew McConaughey says he and his mother, Kay McConaughey, paused communications for about eight years after she began sharing stories with the press. The actor, 55, told People that he kept conversations with Kay limited to brief Sunday chats because she was leaking information about him to media outlets. “We had about an eight-year period where I had to have short conversations with her on our Sunday phone calls because she was sharing a lot of that information,” McConaughey said. “I’d tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I’d read about it in the news or see it in the local paper. She couldn’t help herself.” Kay McConaughey, 93, confirmed to the outlet that the family was on a hiatus, noting that “about eight years after that, I got stable enough with my own position and fame that I was like, ‘You know what? My mom can say whatever the hell she wants.’” The two are now closer than ever, and they’re reuniting for Apple TV+ in The Lost Bus, a film based on true events from the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, California. The project marks Levi McConaughey’s acting debut.

The Lost Bus casts McConaughey as a school bus driver who, along with a dedicated schoolteacher played by America Ferrera, battles to save 22 children from a terrifying inferno. Jamie Lee Curtis serves as a producer, and the cast also includes Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson and Spencer Watson. The film is slated to premiere on Apple TV+ on October 3. The project has drawn renewed attention to the family dynamic that now includes Kay and McConaughey’s son Levi, who also appears in the movie alongside his father and mother.

Levi McConaughey’s involvement came after a persistent push from the younger McConaughey. The 17-year-old admitted to People that his father had been skeptical about his acting ambitions, saying, “I had no idea that this young man, my son, was interested [in acting],” but Levi kept asking to read for the role. McConaughey recalled how Levi kept returning for auditions, eventually prompting a family discussion and a taped audition processed through casting director Francine Maisler. He asked Maisler to pull the last name off the audition tape so there wouldn’t be any bias about who the actor’s son was. “When you do that, will you do me one favor? Will you pull the last name off so it’s just, there’s no McConaughey on the end of that?” Kay said yes, and director Paul Greengrass ultimately selected Levi for a callback.

The decision to bring Levi into The Lost Bus also reflects a broader parental stance McConaughey has described over the years. He noted that, for the first 15 years of his own Hollywood career, he didn’t want his children to grow up in the business. By the time Levi came along, McConaughey said he had changed his perspective, stating that he would welcome the opportunity for his children to pursue acting if they showed genuine interest. “It’d be a privilege if they would be able to,” he explained, reflecting on how his own path and travel shaped his view on family and work. McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey, who wed in 2012, are parents to Vida, 15, and Livingston, 12, and the family relocated to Texas in 2014 during the peak of his career. He has since said he would only return to California for roles he truly wants to pursue, a decision he discussed on the Good Trouble With Nick Kyrgios podcast in 2024.

The Lost Bus, written with the intent to honor true events, centers on a crisis in Paradise after the Camp Fire. Kay McConaughey’s involvement in the film’s production and her role in bringing this story to life has been a talking point since the project began, underscoring how far the family has come since the days of the apparent press leaks. The film’s release on Apple TV+ will place the McConaugheys back in the public eye, albeit now as collaborating artists rather than subjects of tabloid coverage.

The project’s casting also features America Ferrera as the dedicated teacher who teams up with McConaughey’s bus driver to lead a lifesaving effort. Greengrass’s direction, along with a supporting cast, has been highlighted in the press notes for its intent to portray a real-life emergency with sensitivity and gravity. The ensemble’s performance is expected to resonate with audiences who remember the fire and its impact on Paradise, a tragedy that remains one of California’s most devastating in modern history.

The Lost Bus will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on October 3, with audiences anticipating a film that blends high-stakes drama with a family-centric story about resilience and regrowth. The film’s cast, including Levi McConaughey’s debut and the presence of McConaughey’s mother in a behind-the-scenes or acting capacity, signals a notable reunion for a family that has navigated intense media scrutiny in the past while pursuing meaningful storytelling on screen.