Matthew McConaughey reveals bizarre new detail about his dad's death during sex
Guardian interview recounts the moment his mother insisted his father be left naked as medics arrived to carry him out.
Matthew McConaughey revealed a new detail about his father's death in 1992, telling The Guardian that his mother, Kay, insisted James McConaughey be left nude when paramedics retrieved the body after a heart attack that followed a morning of sex. He said, 'They hauled him out on the gurney and they tried to cover him up, and my mom's in the driveway, and she pulled the sheet off him. It was 7:30 am.' He added that his understanding is the couple had finished having sex around 6:30 am, and the heart attack occurred shortly after. 'That's Big Jim, he's gonna go out how he went. Don't be trying to cover up how he went out. He's in his birthday suit and he's right there. Don't be covering that man up!' he recalled his mother saying.
The Guardian interview also details how McConaughey learned of his father's death. He said he was in Austin and his family was in Houston when his mother called with the terse news, later filling in the particulars when he returned home. The account aligns with material McConaughey has shared about his upbringing in his memoir Greenlights (2020), in which he described his father as an imposing, formidable figure. He wrote of James as "the abominable snowman, the immovable force, a bear of a man, with the immune system of a Viking and the strength of a bull." He has said that for years he believed nothing could kill his father—"except Mom." The event, he has indicated, pushed him toward manhood and gave him the courage to grow up.
In interviews since the memoir’s release, McConaughey has elaborated on the complexities of his parents’ relationship, which included marriage, divorce, and reconciliations. The stark memory surrounding his father’s death has become a touchstone in how he relates to themes of resilience, courage, and personal responsibility that recur in his public storytelling.
Beyond this latest reflection, the actor remains active in film and literature projects. He is promoting The Lost Bus, an Apple TV+ film slated to debut on October 3, and recently released Poems & Prayers, a collection published on September 16 that blends personal poetry with prayers about navigating life’s twists and turns. This week he also appeared on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop podcast, where he discussed his career and his wife Camila Alves, among other topics.