Matthew McConaughey has disclosed the motivation behind his choice to relocate his family away from Hollywood, even as his acting career was at its peak. The 55-year-old Oscar winner, along with his wife Camila Alves, moved back to his home state of Texas over a decade ago, and they haven't regretted it since. Now, more than 10 years later, the couple continues to reside in Austin with their children Levi, 15, Livingston, 11, and daughter Vida, 14.

When questioned about the move, McConaughey emphasized that staying true to himself has been key to the longevity of his career. 'Look, man, the devil’s in the infinite yeses, not the nos,' he stated on the 'Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios' podcast. 'No, it’s just as important, if not more important. Especially if you have some level of success and access. No becomes more important than yes.' He added, 'We all look around and see we’ve over-leveraged our life with yeses and go, ‘Geez, oh, man, I’m making C minuses and all that s–t in my life because I said yes to too many things.’ I have many times in my life where I’m going through autopilot.'

Before settling in Texas, McConaughey and Alves, who married in 2012, were living in Malibu, California. During that period, the actor gained widespread recognition for his roles in successful romantic comedies such as 'How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days,' 'The Wedding Planner,' 'Failure to Launch,' and 'Fool’s Gold.' 'That was my lane, and I liked that lane,' he said about his rom-com work. 'That lane paid well and it was working. But the lane was… I was so strong in that lane that anything outside of that lane, dramas and stuff that I wanted to do, were like, ‘No, no, no, no, no McConaughey.’ Hollywood said ‘No, no, no, no, you should stay there, stay there.'

McConaughey knew he wanted to diversify his acting portfolio beyond rom-coms, a move that initially met resistance from Hollywood. This realization led him to move his family to Texas, where he informed his wife that he would only return to California for roles he truly wanted to do. 'Luckily, Camila got pregnant with our first child. So there was purpose coming to look forward to,' he shared. 'But I was still like, ‘Man’s gotta work.’ Making chimes and working in the garden wasn’t cutting it.'

McConaughey was adamant about only accepting roles he was passionate about. He famously turned down a $15 million role in favor of a project with a more compelling script, a decision that he believes sent a strong message to Hollywood. 'I think that was the one that was probably what was seen as the most rebellious move in Hollywood by me, because it really sent the signal, ‘He ain’t f–king bluffing,' he recalled. 'I think that’s what made Hollywood go, ‘You know what? He’s now a new novel idea. He’s a new bright idea.'

This bold move was soon followed by his role in 'Dallas Buyers Club,' which earned him an Oscar and a more modest salary of $200,000. Since then, McConaughey has starred in blockbuster films such as 'Interstellar,' 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' and 'Mud.'

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