Matthew McConaughey Explains Why His Acting Advice to Son Levi, 18, Is to ‘Fail More’

Hannah SacksThu, August 13, 2026 at 7:27 PM UTC

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Levi McConaughey (left) and dad Matthew McConaughey at the 2025 Toronto International Film FestivalCredit: Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty -

Matthew McConaughey advised his son Levi to embrace failure and rejection as part of pursuing acting

McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves McConaughey encourage their kids to explore opportunities but don’t pressure them into acting

Levi grew up around film sets and recently made his acting debut alongside his father in The Lost Bus

Matthew McConaughey had one piece of acting advice for his son — and it might be a little unexpected.

The actor, 56, shared with E! News during an interview that he has one hope for his son Levi, 18, after the teenager made his acting debut last year alongside McConaughey in their film The Lost Bus.

“You’ve got to be able to deal with rejection, that’s part of it,” McConaughey told the outlet. “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.”

From left: Levi McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey, Livingston McConaughey, Camila Alves McConaughey, and Vida McConaughey in April 2024Credit: Rick Kern/Getty

He shared that it often takes “troubadours and rebels” to be successful as an actor. McConaughey added that he’s tried to make that clear to his son Levi.

“I just try to push, to say, ‘It’s better to make a fool of yourself and find out,’ than to leave an audition and go, ‘Oh, I had that moment and I hesitated,’ ” he 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.”

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The dad of three said that he and his wife Camila Alves McConaughey aren’t pressuring their kids to follow McConaughey into the industry.

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“I don’t know if it’s something he’s going to want to pursue as a career,” said McConaughey of his son Levi. “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.”

From left: Levi McConaughey, Camila Alves McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey, Livingston McConaughey and Vida Alves McConaughey at ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’ screening on Aug. 10, 2026Credit: Rick Kern/Getty

However, McConaughey acknowledged that his son has spent a lot of time in and around film sets.

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

Earlier this summer , McConaughey paid tribute to his son Levi as he celebrated his 18th birthday with a post on Instagram.

The proud dad shared a recent snap of him and his son as they stood together in a grassy area in Austin, Texas. The father-son duo matched in button-down shirts as they posed for the camera and held up the “Hook ‘em Horns” hand sign, made popular by the University of Texas, where McConaughey went to college.

“18. That’s a # buddy. Enjoy and handle your new freedoms. @levimcconaughey,” the actor captioned his post.

McConaughey’s latest film The Rivals of Amziah King will premiere in theaters on Friday, Aug. 14.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”