Why Matthew McConaughey Advises Son Levi McConaughey to "Fail More"

Aug 13, 2026 - 01:22

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Why Matthew McConaughey Advises Son Levi McConaughey to "Fail More"

Matthew McConaughey Reveals the Hollywood Advice He Gives Son Levi: “Fail More”

Matthew McConaughey knows his son Levi Alves McConaughey will be alright, alright alright.

Still, the How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days star has a few extra years on his and Camila Alves McConaughey’s 18-year-old son when it comes to Hollywood—and shared his hopes for the teenager after making his feature debut last year.

“You’ve got to be able to be able to detail with rejection, that’s part of it,” McConaughey told E! News in an exclusive interview. “You’ve got to hopefully love doing it and love the process so much that enough ‘nos’ don’t matter. If not, it’s not for you, because I was taught, there’s no ‘help wanted’ signs in Hollywood.”

Indeed, the 56-year-old—also dad to Vida, 16, and Livingston, 13, with Alves—admitted that it “takes troubadours and rebels” to make it in a business as cutthroat as acting.

And he has tried to make that clear to his eldest.

“I just try to push, to say, ‘It’s better to make a fool of yourself and find out’ then to leave an audition and go, ‘Oh I had that moment and I hesitated,’” McConaughey explained. “Make a fool of yourself. Fail more. Try and fail more. No one gives as much of a damn as you think they do.”

But the Oscar winner isn’t necessarily pressuring his son to follow in his footsteps, either.

“I don’t know if it’s something he’s going to want to pursue as a career,” the True Detective alum reasoned. “But as we’ve done what we’ve always done, Camila and I will do our best to open doors and then after that it’s up to our kids to do what they do with it.”

Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images

So, naturally, McConaughey acknowledged that he’s given Levi plenty of space to glean what he can out of the business.

“He’s obviously grown up around and on sets,” he added, “Working on crews and making short films around the house and stuff like that.”

But the Dazed and Confused star isn’t reserving his expertise for family. On his latest film The Rivals of Amziah King, which hits theatres Aug. 14, he served as a mentor to costar Angelina LookingGlass—his onscreen foster daughter—as she took center stage in her first major role.

“He’s such an amazing person in general,” LookingGlass mused to E! News in the joint interview with McConaughey and director Andrew Patterson. “He’s been such a mentor when I do need it. Getting to work with him, I learned a lot. I love what he did in the film. I’m very proud of him.”

Whether McConaughey’s kids follow in his Hollywood footsteps or not, it’s undoubtable he has three mini-mes in Levi, Vida and Livingston. Keep reading for more stars and their little ones…

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