Sunday, January 12 was a good day for Matthew McConaughey. While his new drama series True Detective, was premiering on HBO, over at NBC, he was busy winning a Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Actor for the most intense of the three acclaimed film roles he played last year, that of AIDS activist Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. (The other two were his lead in Mud and his small but pivotal and outrageous cameo in The Wolf of Wall Street.)
Over the past 20 years, McConaughey has proved willing to follow his muse wherever it leads, from lead roles in mainstream dramas and romantic comedies to character parts and supporting roles in offbeat and sometimes disturbing independent movies. (Even those who haven’t seen Dallas Buyers Club have been shocked by the actor’s gaunt appearance over the past year from his drastic weight loss for the role.) It’s even taking him to a six-month stint on TV. The 44-year-old is playing a haunted sleuth named Rust Cohle on True Detective, alongside his EdTV co-star Woody Harrelson; the first season sees the pair tracking a Louisiana serial killer, while future seasons will contain all new storylines, characters, and stars.
To mark the series premiere, the Globe victory, and the actor’s banner year in movies, here’s a look back at McConaughey’s top 10 roles in film.