Playing the man in the middle of the Bre-X mining scandal of 1993 in Kenny Wells, Matthew McConaughey had to do away with his Hollywood good looks to pack on the pounds. 47 in total. The picture Gold is opening nation wide on January 27 as the crime-adventure title looks at the events that led to Wells embarking on a trip to Indonesia on search to greater riches.
Directed by Stephen Gaghan, the TWC-Dimension motion picture links McConaughey with Edgar Ramirez, Corey Stoll and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. Though the narrative and names appear appealing enough, the initial reviews have not been too kind. Despite the early setback, the Interstellar actor understood the demands of portraying Wells in the most accurate light possible.
Extra Pounds Hit Matt Hard
Appearing at the premiere at New York City this week, McConaughey explained how the added weight of 47 pounds sprung up on him when he was in his own company one day. The award winning performer famously lost a lot of weight for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. Besides demonstrating how versatile he is on screen, the quick weight gain and loss was something that eventually worked in his favor for the sake of the movie.
“I enjoyed getting into Kenny and doing my research and all of a sudden I looked in the mirror and was like, ‘You put on a lot of weight, McConaughey.'"
McConaughey Looked To His Dad For Inspiration
Whilst his late father had been gone for 24 years, the actor said that there was an element of Wells in his personality he could tap into. Passing away of a heart attack, the former gas station employee was something of a wheeler and dealer when it came to finding a bargain. A personal trait McConaughey could well understand.
“There was parts of him that I observed and parts of him — his dealings with some people doing some shady deals — that were very Kenny Wells,” he said. “Like taking me for a ride to go buy a hot Rolex watch the day before Christmas — when we were supposed to be getting stocking stuffers — from a guy named Chicago John, in a white van parked behind an abandoned shopping mall with downed power lines between the Dumpsters, (that my dad) paid $3,000 for because he thought it was worth $22,000. And it was probably worth $200. But it didn’t matter. It was the deal. It was, 'How much fun is this?'"
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