If you belong to a prominent family in Hollywood then fame is something you’re born with. Speaking of which, many of you’ve probably heard about Matthew McConaughey’s brother Pat McConaughey, whom, in fact, his parents adopted. Academy Award winner Matthew is no stranger to even an amateur moviegoer. However, unlike himself, his adoptive brother Pat isn’t involved in showbiz.
Pat has kept every detail of his life out of the public eye. Today let us try to find out some hidden truths about Matthew’s brother Pat including his family, relationship with his brothers, net worth, and a lot more!
Let’s begin!
Pat McConaughey was adopted by his parents after they had trouble conceiving
Pat McConaughey was born in 1962. He was adopted by parents Mary Kathlene McCabe (mother) and James Donald McConaughey (father) in 1964.
The couple welcomed their first child, a son, Rooster McConaughey on August 2, 1954. However, they had trouble conceiving a second child after it was discovered that James had a low sperm count. In the meantime, their first child Rooster was asking for a brother and consequently, they adopted Patrick in 1964.
Source: Daily Mail
His adoptive mother is a Trenton, New Jersey native and previously worked as a kindergarten teacher. She also used to write books.
His adoptive father James, on the other hand, was the owner of an oil pipe supply business. He also played college football while studying. He played for Kentucky Wildcats and Houston Cougars before being drafted by NFL’s Green Bay Packers in the 27th round. Unfortunately, Pat couldn’t play NFL as Green Bay released him before the season even began.
Pat’s mom and dad have had a rough marriage. They divorced twice but re-married each time.
Younger Brother Matthew McConaughey’s Birth was Super Unexpected
As fate would have it, despite having a low sperm count, seven years after they adopted Pat, Mary became pregnant again with their second child. The news in itself was quite miraculous for the couple. They welcomed their third son Matthew David McConaughey (aka Matthew McConaughey) on November 4, 1969.
If Mary and James hadn’t tried, who knew what would’ve transpired?
Source: Instagram
The meaning of the name ‘Matthew’ is ‘a gift of God.’ While talking about her youngest son’s name, Pat’s mother once stated,
“I mean, what a blessing he is. This child is a gift from God, and that’s what the word ‘Matthew’ means, ‘gift of God.”’
The McConaughey mother instilled a positive thinking mantra into Her three sons
Matthew’s mother Kay McConaughey told Sheinelle Jones in Today’s show Through Mom’s Eyes series that her positive thinking played a huge role in her children’s life. She said,
I have always been a positive thinker. And that’s what I would say, the power of positive thinking. Use it, be it, do it, OK? When you start thinking negative, you know, it pulls you down, just like being around negative people.
Kay always had her sons into a tight lease. She used to tell her sons, “You know, when you get 18, go out in the world. But until you’re 18, you are mine.”
Besides, there was also another limited rule for the boys to watch TV for an hour a day only.
McConaughey further revealed there was no one who even thought about entering the entertainment world in the family. Even the veteran actor Matthew initially had the plan to become a lawyer.
But everything changed when the casting director Don Phillips discovered him in the bar and offered the role of Wooderson in the movie Dazed and Confused. We can say, his interest in acting developed rather unnaturally.
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Who is Matthew’s Brother Pat McConaughey? His Career
Pat has been secretive about his life and likes to keep everything to himself. He just came into the limelight as an older brother of Matthew.
His brother, Matthew on the other hand, is a world-famous actor. He initially played several supporting roles in films like Angels in the Outfield and Massacre: The Next Generation as well.
Source: Instagram
The actor received tremendous popularity after his performance in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club (2013). He also took home his first Oscar for his superb acting in the movie.
What is Pat McConaughey’s Net Worth?
The exact amount of his net worth is still under review. But talking about his superstar brother Matthew, he has an estimated net worth of $140 million as of 2023. A major portion of his wealth comes from his super-successful acting career.
Matthew once spent $10 million on a mansion in Malibu, California in 2007. In July 2020, the actor sold the same home to Phil Lord, an American Filmmaker, for $15 million.
Moreover, their older brother Rooster’s net worth is $55 million as per various online sources.
What About Pat McConaughey Love Life? Is He married?
Due to the limited information, it becomes much hard to trace out whether McConaughey is married or not. On the other side, Matthew has been leading a blissful married life with his wife Camila Alves for years now. The couple tied the knot in 2012, in Austin, TX.
They are also blessed with three children, Levi Alves McConaughey, Vida Alves McConaughey, and Livingston Alves McConaughey.
Pat Inspired His Brother’s Character In “Dazed and Confused”
Not many know but Pat’s brother Matthew’s character David Wooderson in Dazed and Confused was inspired by him. Matthew on multiple occasions has stated that the way he portrayed the character was an impression he had of his elder brother Pat McConaughey.
The actor even shared an incident that led him to have the kind of impression of his brother. He said,
Y’all know this as actors,” McConaughey told the Hudsons. “Sometimes you study details of a character and other times it’s just an impression. That character was based off a specific day when I was about 10 years old. Mom and I were going to pick up my brother Pat after school. His car had broken down so we were supposed to pick him up in the station wagon and he wasn’t where we were supposed to meet him.
He further added,
So as we’re slowly driving through campus, I’m in the backseat looking out the back window, I see this image of a guy in shadow, leaning against the wall in the smoking section with one boot heel kicked up on the wall, the light shining through, the bent knee, leaning back, kind of a lazy longhand. I was like whoa. He was like nine feet tall, the coolest thing in the world and it was my brother Pat.
Adding to it, he stated,
I remember going, ‘There’s Pat!’ and I stopped because I was like oh, if I say his name, Mom turns around, he’s going to get his butt whooped for smoking. So I didn’t say anything. We just kept driving but that image of who I thought my brother was through my 10-year-old eyes when he was that much of an icon was who I based Wooderson on.
Updated 2023: Facts About Pat McConaughey
- Pat McConaughey is the adoptive brother of Matthew McConaughey.
- He is 60 years old as of 2023.
- He is an American by his nationality and has a Caucasian ethnicity.