Family after all? Matthew McConaughey has been longtime pals with Woody Harrelson — but the Dallas Buyers Club star suspects their parents had a more intimate relationship.
“In Greece a few years ago, we’re sitting around talking about how close we are and our families. And my mom [Mary Kathlene McCabe] is there. And she says, ‘Woody, I knew your dad [Charles Harrelson],'” McConaughey, 53, said during the Tuesday, April 11, episode of SiriusXM’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” show. “Oh, everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew.’ It was a lovely ‘k-n-e-w.’ Well, we went on to unpack what this ‘knew’ meant. And [we] did some math and found out that his dad was on furlough at the same time that my mom and dad were on their second divorce. Then, there’s possible receipts in a place that’s out in West Texas where there might have been … a meeting or a ‘knew’ moment.”
McConaughey’s mother tied the knot with his father, James Donald, three times before his death in 1992. In his 2020 memoir, Greenlights, the Wedding Planner star revealed that his dad died by “having a heart attack when he climaxed” during sex with the Texas native’s mom.
On Tuesday, McConaughey quipped to “Let’s Talk” host Kelly Ripa on Tuesday that DNA testing should be part of his upcoming project with Harrelson, 61, titled Brothers From Another Mother — an AppleTV+ “odd couple” comedy that features the two men playing versions of themselves as they attempt to live together on McConaughey’s Texas ranch with their respective families, according to the network’s official logline.
The Magic Mike actor and Cheers alum first formed a bond after starring together in 1998’s Surfer Dude before reuniting the following year for EdTV. In 2014, they joined forces once again for HBO’s True Detective. Though the actors couldn’t be closer as friends and coworkers, the twosome do have their differences — something that will be explored in the upcoming series.
“While Woody and I are the best of friends we have different approaches in how we raise our children and how we go about certain things,” McConaughey explained. “I may be a little more organized in certain things. This is a love story. It’s a story about us, he and I and our families come together. “
The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actor married wife Camila Alves in June 2012 after six years together. The couple share three children: sons Levi, 14, and Livingston, 10, and daughter Vida, 13. Harrelson, for his part, is a proud parent of daughters Deni, 30, Zoe, 26 and Makani, 16, with wife Laura Louie, whom he wed in 2008.
While McConaughey and Harrelson may have different parenting approaches, they are still by each other’s side to celebrate family milestones. In January, the Hunger Games star hilariously photobombed the Oscar winner’s daughter Vida while she was celebrating her 13th birthday.
“Uncle @woodyharrelson is questioning if the cake is vegan or not!!! 🫣😂,” Alves, 40, wrote via Instagram at the time alongside a photo of the teen blowing out her candles while Harrelson lurked behind her.
She continued, “How does this go people! Time flies… 13! You are my ray of sunshine Vida!!!” Alves, 40, continued in her birthday tribute. “Your name explains everything about you ‘life’ (#tb on celebrating her birthday on our family vacation trip January 3rd) 💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💛💛💚💛.”
While McConaughey has kept his personal life with the Brazil native relatively low-key, he gave a glimpse into their parenting style during a June 2020 interview with Town & Country.
“I’m more consistently the yes guy,” he shared at the time. “Sometimes loving your kids means giving them just what they want. Other times, it means tough love. Affluent people can give their kids everything they want, but they’re not usually going to get what they need. Loving a child is a lot harder if you really give a damn.”
Harrelson, for his part, told The Sun in November 2013 that he’s struggled with being a “cool” dad for his three little ones.
“It would have been great if I’d been as easygoing as Woody in Cheers ― I loved that show ― but I wasn’t. I have taught my daughters to experience life and not be constantly making judgments, which held me back,” he confessed to the outlet.
