"Meat out there on the table, that's gonna be my breakfast, lunch and dinner," actor Matthew McConaughey jokes as he steps out of his trailer. The smell of beer wafts off of him and he grins, strolling over to the picnic table where large slabs of meat lay on a plate. As he admires the food, he looks more like a friendly neighbor preparing for a barbeque than a famous Hollywood figure. Though he starred in such movies as How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Reign of Fire and The Wedding Planner, McConaughey casually represents the common American man with his relaxed mannerisms and down-to-earth drawl.
His rugged "outdoorsiness" is highlighted by the fact that he is on a six-week road trip to promote his new movie, Sahara. "My partner of my production company and I ...were talking about how I'm gonna go travel around and camp out across America, like I did between the last two films. This is where I go relax," McConaughey says, explaining how the idea of using a road-trip to publicize the movie came about. "So it sort of evolved like that and we pulled out the map and picked out what's happenin' out there. I'm doing what I'd be doing on my off time anyway, and I'm promoting a product that I've worked hard on...I get to do a grass-roots kind of door-to-door sales on it."
In certain respects, this exploratory road trip across the states is an appropriate way to promote Sahara. McConaughey stars as Dirk Pitt, a master explorer on a treasure hunt that takes him through the dangerous lands of Northern Africa. Sahara also stars Penelope Cruz, who happens to reteam with McConaughey in the yet-to-be-filmed movie, The Loop. "That's the script that I've been developing with my production company. It's from a book, and it's a quirky misfit love story with a parrot," he says, clearly excited about the upcoming project.
It appears that McConaughey has a lot on his plate in the near future, especially if Sahara and Dirk Pitt's character becomes a franchise. "I mean, that's the plan. But to be honest, that's gonna be up to the people who decide to see it." When asked if he'd like to franchise How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, McConaughey laughs and replies, "Mmm, I don't know." Wise decision, Matthew. Wise decision.
