Matthew McConaughey has spent decades navigating Hollywood, and now the Oscar-winning actor is passing some of his biggest career lessons on to his 18-year-old son, Levi McConaughey.
As Levi begins building his own acting career, his father has emphasized one reality every aspiring performer eventually encounters: rejection is part of the business. McConaughey believes actors need to love performing and the creative process enough that hearing “no” repeatedly doesn’t stop them from continuing.
His advice isn’t about avoiding failure. Instead, he is encouraging Levi—and aspiring actors generally—to take bigger chances, accept rejection and keep showing up.
Matthew McConaughey Says Rejection Is Part of Acting
Speaking with E! News, Matthew McConaughey explained that actors have to develop the ability to handle rejection if they want a sustainable career.
His message to Levi is straightforward: performers should love acting enough that unsuccessful auditions don’t destroy their motivation.
McConaughey also pointed to something actors quickly discover when entering Hollywood—opportunities don’t simply arrive because someone wants to become a performer. Actors often have to actively pursue auditions, develop relationships, improve their craft and repeatedly put themselves in situations where rejection is possible.
For emerging actors, that mindset can be important. Not booking one role doesn’t necessarily mean an audition was unsuccessful. A strong performance can introduce an actor to a casting team that may remember them for another project.
Why Matthew McConaughey Wants His Son to “Fail More”
Matthew McConaughey Encourages Levi to Take Bigger Risks
One of the most memorable pieces of advice Matthew McConaughey has given Levi is to “fail more.”
Rather than leaving an audition wondering what might have happened if he had made a stronger creative choice, McConaughey encourages his son to take the risk.
His philosophy is that performers shouldn’t become so worried about embarrassment that they hesitate during the moment when they actually have an opportunity to show what they can do.
He also told E! News that it can be better to risk making a fool of yourself and discover what happens than to leave an audition regretting a moment of hesitation.
For actors, that doesn’t mean ignoring casting instructions. It means making committed, prepared and confident choices instead of delivering a performance controlled entirely by fear.
Levi McConaughey Is Beginning His Own Acting Career
Levi has already taken his first major steps into acting.
He appeared alongside his father in Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, the survival drama inspired by the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in California.
The film stars McConaughey as bus driver Kevin McKay, with America Ferrera portraying teacher Mary Ludwig as they attempt to get children to safety during the wildfire. Levi plays the son of his father’s character. McConaughey’s mother, Kay, also appears as his character’s mother.
But McConaughey wanted his son to earn the opportunity rather than simply receive a role because of his famous surname.
When Levi recorded his audition, his father submitted it to the casting director and then requested that the McConaughey surname be removed before it went to director Paul Greengrass. McConaughey has said he wanted Levi to know that if he booked the part, he had earned it through his own performance.
Matthew McConaughey Refused to Be Levi’s Safety Net on Set
Once Levi landed the role, the relationship between father and son changed when they arrived at work.
McConaughey said he was willing to coach and teach his son beforehand, but once production started, Levi couldn’t rely on his father to constantly reassure him.
Instead, he needed to work directly with the director and function professionally like the other actors.
McConaughey later recalled watching Levi do exactly that. Rather than repeatedly looking toward his father for approval, Levi worked with Greengrass while McConaughey stepped back and watched as a proud parent.
That experience provides a useful lesson for aspiring performers: preparation and mentorship can help you reach the audition or set, but once you’re working professionally, you need to be able to take direction, adapt and deliver independently.
Levi McConaughey Still Has to Build His Own Career
Despite helping his son enter the industry, McConaughey isn’t assuming Levi will become a lifelong actor.
He and wife Camila Alves McConaughey want their children to explore their own interests and determine what careers genuinely appeal to them.
The actor has acknowledged that he and Camila can help open certain doors, but what their children do once those doors open is ultimately their responsibility.
Levi has expressed a similar perspective. While acknowledging that having famous parents may provide access, he has said that he still has to prove what he can do after receiving an opportunity.
That distinction is particularly relevant in an industry where connections may help someone secure an introduction or audition, but sustained careers ultimately require professionalism, preparation and the ability to perform.
7 Acting Lessons From Matthew McConaughey’s Advice
For aspiring actors, McConaughey’s comments offer several practical career lessons:
- Accept rejection. Hearing “no” is an unavoidable part of auditioning.
- Love the process. If acting only feels worthwhile when you book a job, sustaining a career can become difficult.
- Take creative risks. Don’t leave an audition wishing you had committed more fully.
- Allow yourself to fail. Every unsuccessful attempt can provide experience for the next opportunity.
- Prepare before you arrive. Coaching and training happen before the performance; actors still need to deliver independently.
- Take direction professionally. Once you’re on set, work with the director and production team rather than constantly seeking reassurance.
- Earn what happens after the opportunity. Connections may open a door, but preparation and performance determine what you do once you’re inside.
Rejection Happens Even to Successful Hollywood Actors
McConaughey’s advice carries additional weight because rejection hasn’t disappeared from his own career.
He recently clarified that he auditioned for the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic and believed the audition went extremely well, but he was never ultimately offered the part. Leonardo DiCaprio went on to play Jack in the 1997 blockbuster.
McConaughey has also spoken about career decisions that sent his professional life in unexpected directions.
After becoming closely associated with romantic comedies, he famously stepped away from that genre and eventually entered the career period sometimes called the “McConaissance.” That run included acclaimed performances in projects such as Mud, True Detective and Dallas Buyers Club.
His performance in Dallas Buyers Club ultimately earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
The larger lesson is that one lost role—or even an extended period of uncertainty—doesn’t necessarily determine the direction of an acting career.
What Aspiring Actors Can Learn From Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey has built his advice around persistence rather than guarantees.
Actors cannot control every casting decision. A performer can deliver a strong audition and still lose a role because of age range, chemistry, physical characteristics, scheduling, creative direction or countless other considerations.
What actors can control is their preparation.
That means maintaining updated headshots, building a professional résumé and reel, developing self-tape skills, continuing training and regularly looking for legitimate auditions.
Project Casting helps actors discover casting calls, entertainment jobs and opportunities across film, television, commercials, creator campaigns and other productions.
Matthew McConaughey’s Advice Comes Down to Persistence
Matthew McConaughey Says Actors Should Keep Trying
For Matthew McConaughey, rejection isn’t necessarily evidence that someone should quit acting. What matters is whether they still love the work enough to continue despite hearing “no.”
His advice to Levi reflects something performers at every level encounter: careers aren’t built from one perfect audition.
They’re built through preparation, experimentation, mistakes, relationships, resilience and repeatedly putting yourself in a position to be considered.
Levi’s career is only beginning, and McConaughey has made clear that his son will ultimately decide whether acting becomes his long-term profession.
But the lesson his father is giving him applies much more broadly: take the chance, commit to the performance and don’t let fear of failure prevent you from auditioning in the first place.
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FAQs
What Acting Advice Did Matthew McConaughey Give His Son?
Matthew McConaughey told Levi that actors need to become comfortable with rejection and encouraged him to “fail more.” His advice emphasizes taking creative risks rather than leaving auditions regretting moments of hesitation.
Is Matthew McConaughey’s Son Levi an Actor?
Yes. Levi McConaughey made his acting debut alongside his father in The Lost Bus. Matthew had Levi’s surname removed from his audition before it reached director Paul Greengrass because he wanted his son to earn the role on his own performance.
What Movie Did Matthew McConaughey and His Son Make Together?
Matthew and Levi appeared together in The Lost Bus, directed by Paul Greengrass. The survival drama is inspired by the 2018 Camp Fire in California and also stars America Ferrera.
