Oscars 2014 Winners Room - Matthew mcconaughey on unexpected best actor win

So what it feels to have your first one with your first nomination right now with you? It feels... I'm not going to say surreal. I did not expect it, but it's a bit of the end of a journey with this film that I mean... The script came across my desk four years ago, and also my wife and I were talking about this morning when we woke up, not knowing what would happen tonight, saying whatever happens tonight. Four years ago, I decided to go to work doing four films a year. That was easy for me to do. She came with the kids, followed me everywhere, and we went and it was harder for her than it was for me. And so this, Dallas Buyers Club being the film that was also on my desk five years ago that finally got made two years ago, it sort of feels like a bit of a culmination, not really a destination as far as work goes, but the movie, the script. No one wanted to make it for 20 years. It got turned down 137 times, and then it came across my desk. I jumped on with the team that was trying to get it made, and we somehow got it made and got it across the line. That was a minor miracle in itself, so that felt great, and then I saw the first cut Jean-Marc sent me to look at, and I was like oh, I think we may have gotten it on camera. I think we have a good film here. Edited it together. I liked the film. You never know what's going to happen after that. All of a sudden, it premieres in Toronto. It's received well. It sticks with people in a way. They pass that word along. Then we open up in a few theatres here in America, and it started to gain momentum, started to really stick with people. Well, now the ultimate gold standard of the light of excellency is shined on it. Not just on my performance, but we had a couple of other things tonight. We had six nominations. Jared won the make up and hair one with a $250 budget. Oh, they were stealing charcoal and stuff to do our make up. That's extra rewarding for me because I was a part of that team that was pushing this thing, trying to push the thing over the hill that nobody wanted to make, and I'm standing here now. Something that I got a prize for excellence, for the work I do and something that's not my job. It's not my hobby, and it's not my fad. It's my career. That feels wonderful, and I didn't say it tonight because it was a very special thing that happened. 1992. I was one week into working my first job, Dazed and Confused. My father moved on six days into working that job. Now, in hindsight I've looked back. He got to be alive for me doing the one thing that was not my fad, hobby or job. We didn't know it then, but it turned out to be my career, and that's why I was actually it came to my mind tonight in speaking about it. It feels wonderful. Yeah, it feels wonderful. We're going to 33 and then 213. Hi Matthew. James Bean - Hypable.com. I actually got to talk to you during the press rounds for Dallas Buyers Club, and your first nomination, first award. You're one for one, which is an awesome record, and I wondered if you could give us a behind the scenes... That's good. I wondered if you could give us a behind the scenes look at the McConaughasance. -McConaughasance? -With True Detective. That term I heard... Somebody said it in Sundance. I didn't make it up. He said you're on a McConaughsance, and we went on to say something special. And "I went wait wait go back." What did you say? He said, "McConaughsance." I was like I don't know what that is, but it sounds good. Anyway, look four years ago. I've told this story before, but I took a couple of years off. I didn't know it would be two years. I didn't know if it would three years, four years. I took some time off to stop doing the things I was doing because I wanted to do something I felt like I could give an original take on something that scared the hell out of me and I started going to work. But that started back with Killer Joe, Lincoln Lawyer, Magic Mike and things like that. I've got to be honest. The thing... I've been more process-oriented than I ever have been. I've been more like: "Eff it. Go for the experience Matthew. What's the personal experience I can get out of this as an actor?" And love making the daily construction and architecture making of a movie, and when it's over, be fulfilled in the making of that movie and if it rises to somewhere, if it goes straight to DVD, pfft. Forget it. That was about making the movie. You was a process. You worked with people, went to work and put your head down and did it. Now, results came in more than ever by just putting my head down and sticking to the process. You know, I've worked with single-minded directors. They were all characters that were sort of fringed on the outsider, on the outcast characters, characters that didn't make up, that made up their own rules, that didn't play, cater or pander to anybody else. Wolf of Wall Street. I got to work with Martin Scorsese, worked with Leonardo in the scene for the day. True Detective. Great writing. I read two episodes, and I'm like, "I'm doing this if you'll give me the role of Rust Cohle, I'm in." And we went and made that. That was basically like a six month film. It was one director, eight episodes, 450 pages. Basically a 450 page script. Six months shooting on film. Very considerate. Much more considerate than Dallas Buyers Club. We shot that with one camera, no lights and a tiny crew in 25 days. I was going for the quality and the experience, saying what's my experience going to be? I don't know what this means. I don't know what the result will be. What can I get an experience out of, Matthew? That's the question I ask myself. Thank you so much. On to 13 and then 154. Hi. I'm Fallon. I just want to congratulate you, and also I noticed when Jennifer Lawrence was walking out to present you with the Oscar, she kind of said something to you. No, she was talking to Jared because Ellen was on the side. You know, earlier Ellen made the joke about Jennifer tripping last year. Well, Ellen was on the side when Jennifer was walking out going. And Jared was laughing at Ellen, so she yelled over to Jared like what?! Yeah. That's what that was about. Classic moment. Thank you. -So we're going to 154. -Congratulations. -Sorry and then we're going to 291. -Where's 154? Natalie Abrams from TV Guide. What's the status? Are you going to go back for True Detective season two? Have you thought about continuing on with the show? No, I won't be back for season two. Season one was finite. Eight episodes that you'll see... I think there's probably an episode airing right now. Has anyone in here seen it? You have? Great. I made the thing, read the script, knew it upside and down, and I'm not sure what happens in tonight's episode. Anyway... I don't know what happens! I'm telling you. Maybe I do, and I'm not telling but... Anyway, what was the question? -I think you answered it. -Okay. We're going to 291, and I'm sorry, but we have to wrap it up. That's the last question. Hi Matthew. Charlie Reeves from Showbiz Express. Congratulations. Thank you very much. This time in your life when your children talk to you about it and how it's been and the road and they're excited about it. What do you want them to take away from it? What would you share with them about it? Well, here's what we share with them. Because they understand that Papa goes to work, plays make believe. They understand the difference between reality and movies. They also understand that Papa can be in more than one place at one time. Meaning I'm there in the kitchen, and all of a sudden I'm on the screen. That was a big shock when they first saw that as kids. And the first thing they ever saw me in was a film We Are Marshall, and it was a cut of me and my son was like Papa? And it cut to a fire cauldron, and that devastated him because fire when you're three years old means bad, burn. And it went from Papa to fire, so I took him to set on Lincoln Lawyer and let him watch a scene and then would run him back behind a monitor and say now watch. And he noticed it was the exact same thing that he had seen, so for him it was a magic trick. You can be in more than one place at one time, so they understand what it is somewhat. The main thing we're trying to do is. Like this season. Where are you going? We're going out tonight. There's an award show. Papa is up against four other men who are actors, who do what we do. And they're going to give the actor the award for what they think is the most excellent performance. Remember when we were back in New Orleans? We lived in that house, and we were there working everyday. Remember that time? The work that dad did then. The work that we all did, people are shining a light on it today. So what we're trying to give is a general lesson. If you do your best right now, it can have reciprocity later. It can come back and pay for residuals, for whatever they end up doing in their life. But if you do it right now. Later on, you could be rewarded for good work done now. That's the lesson we're trying to translate to them. -Thank you so much. Congratulations. -Thank you. Thank you very much.