Watch Matthew McConaughey Recall His 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4' Audition, Where He Wielded A Spoon
Those not totally immersed in the world of horror might be surprised that both Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey got their start in the third Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel, but it's true and now McConaughey has a fun story about how he got cast.
Way before he was famous, but after stealing his few scenes in Dazed and Confused, McConaughey was cast in a tiny part in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (or part 4 if you don't want to type out the whole title). He then put himself forward for the main villain of the movie, Vilmer, and after a crazy audition he upgraded his role.
The actor has his own YouTube channel and posted this particular anecdote, which is told with all the good humor and charm you'd imagine. I'll let the man tell you the story in his own words:
As a native Austinite, I'm bound by local law to adore this guy. So it's no surprise that I loved hearing him reminisce about this early acting experience. More than anything, I appreciate how he doesn't look down on his early horror work as a lot of bigger-name actors tend to do. I mean, you don't hear Jennifer Aniston going out of her way to talk about Leprechaun or Leonardo DiCaprio volunteering Critters 3 stories, right?
I personally don't have much use for any of the non-Tobe Hooper Chainsaw movies (although I did like the Platinum Dunes remake), but I'll give Chainsaw 4 this: it's weird as hell and, again, as an Austin native it's particularly fascinating seeing a lot of the early '90s feel of my city captured on film.
This is the Austin I remember from my early teen years, albeit with way fewer murderous cannibals.
Governor Vilmer?
On a related note, there have been some rumors that McConaughey is considering a run for Texas Governor. As someone who nearly froze to death in his home earlier this year due to the incompetence of our current Governor and his administration, I'd formally like to encourage Matthew McConaughey to go for it.
He's the rare actor that can reach across the aisle, and, while performers taking leadership roles in government don't exactly have the best track record, I'd be very down for McConaughey to give it a shot. Certainly can't be worse than what we're dealing with now!
I won't lie — part of me would relish the fact that the star of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4 was running the show here.