City Gala – Matthew McConaughey honored for his Just Keep Livin Foundation
On screen Matthew McConaughey is undeniably compelling and memorable with his powerful performances, good looks and lovable sense of humor in films such as “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Interstellar,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” and of course “Dazed and Confused.” Off screen, the highly regarded actor is just as unforgettable with his incredible self-effacing demeanor and his non-profit just keep livin, which encourages and empowers at risk high school students to make responsible and healthy choices as adults.
At the third annual City Gala event, held in Los Angeles, the Oscar winner was honored for his dedication to his foundation he started with his wife Camila Alves in 2015, and was presented with the Inspiration Award. While addressing the packed crowd at the Globe Theater at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, he revealed how his father inspired the name of his organization.
“In 1992, I’m five days into my first film, Dazed and Confused,” McConaughey explained during a Q&A following his acceptance speech. “I get a call from my mother one night saying, ‘Matt, your dad’s passed away. I went home immediately, was home for two days, we had the wake, we had the party, we had the tears, and then my family said, ‘Go get back to work.”
“I was trying to figure out how I maintain a relationship with my father spiritually, even though physically he’s no longer here and it hit me one night,” McConaughey continued. “I didn’t come up with it — it came from up above and said, ‘Well, you keep the spirit alive, man. You gotta just keep livin.” So, I was like, OK, there it is. I’ve lost him physically, but I still spiritually have a connection with him and can talk to him anytime I want to and that’s where, ‘Just keep livin’ came from.”
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - MARCH 04: Actor Matthew McConaughey (L) and wife Camila Alves attend the City Gala 2018 at Universal Studios Hollywood on March 4, 2018 in Universal City, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
McConaughey also sweetly thanked his wife, who looked amazing in a white floor length Vivienne Westwood gown.
“The biggest thing I’m grateful for right now in my life is three healthy children and a wife who doesn’t want to change me. Thank you, Camila. That’s something to be thankful for, right? There’s nobody else I’d rather be here with.”
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