McConaughey Recounts Smoking Off Whoopi Goldberg on The View During Boys on the Side Reminiscence
Actor reflects on first paycheck, Tucson shoot, and a cigarette habit with Goldberg as the film marks 30 years
Matthew McConaughey and Whoopi Goldberg revisited the 1995 dramedy Boys on the Side on Monday's episode of The View, marking the film's 30th anniversary. The discussion at the Hot Topics table with Goldberg, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin included a clip from the movie as the co-stars reflected on their memories from the Tucson production.
Navarro noted that both Goldberg and McConaughey 'look just the same' in the film, in which McConaughey's character Abe Lincoln is a cop and Goldberg plays Jane DeLuca. The moment prompted the room to laugh about whether the movie's milestone was three decades or three years ago, with Goldberg quipping, 'Three hundred, three thousand. Who can say?'
Speaking about filmmaking, McConaughey said Boys on the Side was the first role for which he actually received a real paycheck. He recalled that the Tucson shoot had him staying near Saguaro National Forest and that he rented a place with a housekeeper who helped with chores. 'She would make my bed and clean up,' he said, describing the small perks that signaled a new level of comfort in his early career. He added that he once told a friend, Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!, as he watched the room be prepared for him.
McConaughey then revealed a lighthearted lapse: I remember I bummed way too many cigarettes off of you. He said he should have bought his own pack. Goldberg forgave him with humor, noting that in acting, What I got, you got. What you got, I got. We just did what we do.
The film also featured Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker, with Goldberg portraying Jane DeLuca and McConaughey playing a detective named Abe Lincoln. The reunion at The View offered fans a window into the actors' on-set dynamic decades after the film's release. The movie remains available for streaming on Netflix, though the service has announced that the last day to watch Boys on the Side there is Oct. 6.
The View airs on weekdays at 11 a.m. PT/ET on ABC, and the nostalgic conversation about vintage collaborations continues to draw attention from fans and critics alike.