20 Times Actors Bet Against Hollywood (And WON)

2. Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

Few actors have bet against Hollywood better than Matthew McConaughey did. 

After years of starring in sub-par romantic comedies, McConaughey decided that he'd damn-well had enough and wanted to be a serious actor again. And so, he embarked on the mother of all comebacks, fondly dubbed the McConaissance, and embarked on a series of dramatic roles. All of this was building up to Dallas Buyers Club. 

The script that told the story of Ron Woodroof, a formerly hedonistic Texan cowboy who was diagnosed with AIDS and began smuggling life-saving drugs to other AIDS patients, had been kicking about for years until McConaughey came across it. He was immediately drawn to the story, but he, director Jean-Marc Vallee and the rest of the crew faced setback after setback. 

Studios just didn't want to fund a drama about the AIDS Crisis, but McConaughey was determined to get the movie made. He lost almost 50 pounds in order to play Woodroof, and although he was used to massive paychecks for his romantic comedies, he agreed to a salary of only $200,000 for this one. He and the rest of the crew kept cutting costs wherever they could. 

It all paid off in the most triumphant way. The movie was a huge critical and commercial success, with McConaughey ultimately winning an Oscar for his performance, thus establishing him as a serious actor once and for all. You love to see it.