The hilarious reason Matthew McConaughey was arrested in 1999
There’s a very good reason why Matthew McConaughey has never failed to escape the shadow cast by his breakout performance as David Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age comedy classic Dazed and Confused, despite everything he’s accomplished since.
McConaughey’s arrival as a genuine dramatic talent was signalled through a stellar central turn in John Grisham adaptation A Time to Kill, indicating that he was much more than a pretty face. Obviously, being remarkably handsome and chiselled certainly helped, especially during the period when he was the permanently shirtless star of many light and frothy romantic comedies.
Then, the self-styled McConaissance eventually came along to remind everyone of his latent prowess, which culminated in an Academy Award win for ‘Best Actor’ after he blew everyone away with his haunted and heart-breaking work in Dallas Buyers Club.
And yet, through all of his successes – and several notable failures – one incident in McConaughey’s personal life stands out as the most memorable, one that tied directly into his free-spirited persona and reputation as somebody with a penchant for engaging in certain herbal remedies.
In 1999, the star was arrested and charged with “disturbing the peace” when he was discovered completely naked, high as a kite, and playing the bongos at home. In the end, he was slapped with a paltry $50 fine, but the incident made worldwide headlines and continued to follow him wherever he went.
In his memoir Greenlights, McConaughey reflected on his hilarious arrest, revealing that he’d been partying nonstop for 32 hours before exploring his musical side, which he described in the most McConaughey fashion imaginable.
“It was time to smoke a bowl and listen to the beautiful African melodic beats of Henri Dikongué play through my home speakers,” he said, setting the stage. “It was time to stand over my drum set and follow the rhythm of the blues before they got to Memphis, on my favourite Afro-Cuban drum. It was time for a jam session”.
Unbeknownst to him, “two Austin policemen also thought it was time to barge into my house unannounced, wrestle me to the ground with nightsticks, handcuff me, and pin me to the floor”.
Escorted from his own premises while “still naked and reluctant to submit to the inevitability of my predicament”, McConaughey had the unwise idea “to run up the walls left and right of the gated passageway and do a somersault backflip over the Cornhusker cop who was guiding me from behind”.
McConaughey explained his bizarre actions while handcuffed by sharing his belief “that after pulling off such an extraordinary Houdini-like stunt, the officers would be so impressed that they would abrogate the arrest and set me free”. They didn’t, but for an established Hollywood star, a quick trip to the local police station and a $50 fine was nothing.
