By 2010, Matthew McConaughey had come to dominate the romantic-comedy scene, starring in beloved films like The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, that same year, he ditched the genre and never looked back—not even when he was offered a $14.5 million paycheck.
Does he regret his decision?
"No, I never regretted that," the newly minted New York Times bestselling author said on Monday, Nov. 9's Daily Pop. "That was during a two-year hiatus I was taking from the romantic comedies that I'd been doing and the action-adventures I had been doing."
McConaughey continued, telling E! co-host Carissa Culiner, "I was very clear...look, intellectually, that was a hard one to say 'no' to. Just looking at that sheer number—are you kidding me? Wow. But I knew I needed to remain on my sabbatical from the films I had been doing for my own soul. And so, no, I never regretted it. But boy, saying 'no' to that really solidified my stance for myself. I was like, okay, I'm not breaking now."
But even if McConaughey wanted to break, he explained that turning down the big payday "sent a signal to Hollywood" that he wasn't bluffing: "What followed that was 14 months of absolutely no offers coming in."
Of course, everything worked out in the end. McConaughey has since starred in a number of highly acclaimed projects, including Dallas Buyers Club, which earned him his first Oscar.
And while McConaughey has no regrets about taking a break from rom-coms, he does look back on certain roles he wishes he could've landed, including the Hulk, which he "didn't even get to audition for."
"When I look back at things that I said 'no' to, I passed on a role in L.A. Confidential around 1995, and I really love that movie," he continued. "Curtis Hanson directed it. That was one of those ones where I was like, 'Ooh, I wish I would have been part of that film in that role.' Other than that, I got a pretty good track record of the things I've said 'no' to."
Fans of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days are certainly grateful he said "yes" to portraying Kate Hudson's on-screen love interest back in 2003, but even more certain is how thrilled they'll be to hear McConaughey's answer when Carissa asked if he'd ever consider doing a sequel!
"Possibly," he responded. "I mean, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is teed up, you know, teed up for one that you could easily do a sequel. And that was a really good one. As far as romantic comedies go, that was a really good one."
"And it lasts!" McConaughey added. "People still love that one. I enjoyed that one quite a bit."
If we are blessed with a sequel, perhaps McConaughey and Hudson's characters can take the stage for another riveting performance?
According to him, they've put in plenty of practice at karaoke!
McConaughey revealed that he and Hudson have sung together for fun "a few times and it'll probably happen again."
"She's quicker for the mic for karaoke than I am," he said. "But she's pulled me in before."
McConaughey's Daily Pop interview came just days after the actor celebrated his 51st birthday, which he rang in with his wife Camila Alves and their three kids.
As it turns out, it was actually Camila who helped push McConaughey to write his recent memoir—based in-part on diaries he's kept since age 14—called Greenlights.
"About three years ago I thought about it and Camila helped me. She said, 'Quit waiting around. Let's go away with all those diaries and see what you got,'" he recalled. "So she gave me a kick in the backside and said, 'Don't come back home until you do have something. So I went away with me and those journals and came back with what is essentially in the book Greenlights."
Since returning home from what he called "solitary confinement," McConaughey has spent much of his time with his children. Of the trio, McConaughey said his eldest, Levi, is most similar to him personality-wise.
"He and I, we love to tell a good story. We love a good debate. We love a good presentation. We love to get exactly what we want when we're going after something," McConaughey explained. "I learn a lot from him. He's an incredibly considerate—more considerate probably than I am—young man and kind young man."
Watch more of the Daily Pop interview with Matthew McConaughey in the above clip!