NO PLACE LIKE TEXAS

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY has a theory. Actually, Matthew McConaughey has lots of theories, about everything from how your drinking water quality affects your hairline to the way knowing the truth, seeing the truth, and telling the truth are all very different experiences. But one theory that's special to him goes like this: The closer we get to the site of our conception, the more wholly ourselves we are.
Not birthplace, mind you-conception. To be "full-blown shaking hands with where you were conceived," he explains, is to be hooked into your original essence. He's even thought about running experiments to test this. "Wouldn't it be interesting to take people back to where they were conceived and have them spend a month?" he says. "And then you could ask: How is your life? How are your thoughts? How is your creativity? How do you feel?" If Matthew is feeling good on this sunny Texas day--and that trademark grin of his keeps suggesting it-the reason might be just that: As he speaks, he's roughly 2 miles from Fort Davis, where, in early 1969, Kay and Jim McConaughey conceived him.
For Matthew, this is literal ground zero.
Not that there aren't other reasons for him to be feeling good.
Camila Alves McConaughey, his Brazilian-born wife of 12 years who's an entrepreneur, author, and founder of the lifestyle website Women of Today, is beside him for their first-ever Southern Living cover shoot. The couple has just embarked upon a journey to market their own brand of tequila, which they've named Pantalones, so they've got margaritas on their work to-do list.
To answer Matthew's questions, then: Life? Life is good. Thoughts? Firing right and left. Creativity? Flowing. Feelings? "I get here, and even my metabolism flies," he says.
Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Southern Living.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Southern Living.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på

THE THRILL OF GRILLING
Smokin' hot recipes that'll make you want to cook everything outdoors

City of Gold
Reliving old memories and making new ones in the storied town of Dahlonega, Georgia

Gone Fishin'
Reel in family and friends with this classic Southern feast

Happy Place
When warm weather arrives, there’s only one spot Katie Jacobs and her young family want to be— their lively garden in Brentwood, Tennessee

Live From the South
Our new column with Today show anchor Craig Melvin celebrates his South Carolina roots

the MAGIC of MOUNT LE CONTE
Perched on the third-highest peak in GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, a rustic lodge has been hosting hikers for 100 YEARS

Mystery Meat
How the art of good barbecue continues to elude me

OUTSIDE INTEREST
WITH PLENTY OF PORCHES AND COMFY PLACES TO GATHER, THIS LAKE WYLIE, SOUTH CAROLINA, HOME PROVES THE IDEAL SUMMER ESCAPE

Perdido Kev Comeback
A down-on-its-luck Florida beach house finally catches a break

PEACH PERFECT
Simple desserts that celebrate the South's favorite stone fruit