Matthew McConaughey says eight-year hiatus with mom Kay over press leaks; now starring in The Lost Bus with family
Actor explains rift with his mother over media leaks; the trio—McConaughey, Kay, and Levi—team up for Apple TV+ series The Lost Bus amid a renewed family dynamic.
Matthew McConaughey says he and his mother, Kay McConaughey, drifted apart for nearly a decade because she shared too much with the press about his life and career. In a conversation with People, the Dallas Buyers Club star, 55, described an eight-year period in which he could only have short conversations with her on Sundays, noting that she routinely relayed information to outlets. "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," he said.
Kay, now 93, later described that stretch as a hiatus. McConaughey said that after eight years they grew closer as his understanding of the entertainment industry matured and he became more stable in his own position and fame. "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," he told People. "It’s much more fun now."
The pair are now starring alongside McConaughey’s own 17-year-old son, Levi, in an Apple TV+ series titled The Lost Bus, marking Kay’s return to acting since 2011’s Bernie. Amid the press tour for the show, additional details about their family dynamics have emerged. In a Guardian interview conducted during the promotional push, McConaughey opened up about Kay’s reaction to her husband, James Donald McConaughey, dying of a heart attack shortly after they had sex. He recalled a moment as paramedics were taking his father away on a gurney, with Kay in the driveway pulling the sheet off him and uttering a blunt observation. "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!" the actor recounted.
The Lost Bus centers on a school bus driver (McConaughey) and a teacher who work to save 22 children from a blazing inferno, and the series is set to premiere on Oct. 3 on Apple TV+. The family has been on a wide publicity tour to promote the show as they navigate questions about fame, legacy, and a family togetherness that now extends to Kay’s acting return alongside Levi.
The collaboration marks a notable reunion for the family on screen, with Levi joining his father and mother as they bring The Lost Bus to audiences on a streaming platform that is increasingly a focal point for high-profile family projects. The series not only showcases a new acting chapter for Kay but also weaves together the McConaugheys’ real-life history with a dramatic rescue narrative that has drawn attention during a press tour that has covered the personal revelations alongside the show’s release plans.
The Lost Bus is described as a tense, rescue-driven drama that pairs the veteran star with his mother and son in a narrative that pushes characters to their limits while exploring how a family negotiates fame, fear, and responsibility. The Oct. 3 Apple TV+ debut will be closely watched as fans consider whether the on-screen reunion mirrors an off-screen rapprochement that has captured headlines in recent months.
The public-facing story around the McConaugheys’ family dynamics has continued to unfold as they navigate a professional project that places multiple generations of the family in the spotlight. In discussing the balance between privacy and public interest, McConaughey has emphasized the importance of growth and boundaries, noting that his perspective on fame has evolved in a way that makes it easier for his mother to speak openly while he maintains a clearer stance on what works for him and his family today. The Lost Bus premieres on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3, with the family’s press circuit expected to extend through the show’s first season.