The truth is, everybody already knew Robert Downey Jr had it in him to be a megastar. All he needed was a spell in rehab and at least one major role to propel him into the big leagues. But there hasn't been a comeback in recent memory more unexpected than that of Matthew McConaughey's. Because, between 2001's The Wedding Planner and 2009's Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, the actor formerly known as The Shirtless One had carved himself a little niche as a risible rom-com perennial. The actor, prior to this decade, was a joke. After 2009, the rom-coms stopped. Then 2011 brought The Lincoln Lawyer, featuring an unusually well-received McConaughey. 2012 was stranger still, McConaughey popping up as a terrifying psychopath in black comedy Killer Joe and as a dangerous parody of himself in male stripper drama Magic Mike. Then came 2013, and McConaughey proved he was deadly serious about reinventing himself as one of the most exciting actors working today: as well as giving a killer cameo in The Wolf of Wall Street and playing a charismatic manchild in Mud, McConaughey gave his all for a performance in Dallas Buyers Club that many say will win him the Best Actor Oscar this year. Next up is HBO serial drama True Detective (already critically adored in the US) and the starring role in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, but who knows how far this McConaissance will go.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
