Matthew Sits Down With Mom Kay, Son Levi to Talk Family Life and Their New Film (Exclusive)

If you ask Matthew McConaughey the secret to his success, the Oscar winner, who launched his career with 1993’s Dazed and Confused, directs you to the sassy blonde on his right.

“You know what she says after every single film?” notes Matthew, 55, with a laugh, pointing to mom Kay, 93. “ ‘Oh, so good! I see where you get it from.’ ”

Matthew’s son Levi, 17—an uncanny blend of his Texas-born movie-star dad and Brazilian American entrepreneur and former-model mom, Camila—is also on-set for their People cover (on newsstands Friday) in Toronto and confirms this: “She told me that the other day. It’s gone generations.” 

Audiences will, in fact, find out where they get it from. The trio are now marking a new family milestone starring together in The Lost Bus (on Apple TV+ Oct. 3), a survival thriller about the deadly 2018 Camp Fire, which burned more than 150,000 acres and killed 85 people.

Directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matthew as a wayward bus driver who rescues 22 schoolchildren, the film brings Kay back onscreen 14 years after her cameo in the 2011 black comedy Bernie—and marks Levi’s debut onscreen playing Matthew’s son.

“I had to badger him,” says Levi of asking his dad to join the project.

Matthew—who also shares two other children, daughter Vida, 15, and son Livingston, 12, with Camila—ultimately pulled the family name off Levi’s audition tape before submitting it as a test of merit. Levi nailed it, and late in production Kay landed her own small role playing Matthew’s character’s mother, following her lifelong dream of acting (Kay says she always wanted to be on The Golden Girls). 

In addition to passing on her star presence, Kay also instilled confidence and the importance of positive thinking in Matthew and his brothers Pat and Rooster, whom she raised with her late husband, James (the couple infamously married each other three times and divorced twice before his death in 1992).

“If you think you’re dumb, you’re dumb. If you think you’re smart, you’re smart. If you think you’re handsome, you’re handsome,” says the former teacher, who’s known as “MaMac” to her six grandchildren and now resides in Austin with Matthew’s family.

Below, Matthew, Kay and Levi share more of that family wisdom, plus what it’s really like to grow up as a McConaughey.

(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

Matthew, how did you react to Levi’s interest in acting?

MATTHEW I was open. The first 15 years in Hollywood I was like, “I’d never want my kid to grow up in the business.” And when I hit about 40, right about the time we had Levi, I looked around at how many special people I’ve met in my life, how much travel and what an awesome, healthy, cool experience that’s been for me in my life. I was like, “Where are you coming up with this idea you don’t want any of your kids to do it?” It’d be a privilege if they would be able to.

Levi, how did it go on the set of The Lost Bus?

LEVI There was a tough scene to do with my dad because we’re fighting, and we have a good relationship where that’s luckily not how it is in real life. But I’m enjoying it more and loving it.

What was your parenting style like while Matthew was growing up, Kay? 

KAY You don’t want me to have to tell you twice.

MATTHEW Bingo. That’s it.

KAY I was strict but loving.

Matthew, you grew up with physical discipline from your parents. How has your parenting style differed?

MATTHEW In our family Camila and I try to listen longer, try to understand. Camila and I will explain more of what we mean by more than just, “I said so.”

KAY I asked them, “Do you ever get in any kind of argument?” And I don’t know which one said it, but it was more or less, “When we do, we don’t do it around the kids.”

Matthew, how has your relationship with your mom changed over the years?

MATTHEW I’d say we’re closer now. We had about an eight-year period where I had to have short conversations with her on our Sunday phone calls because she was sharing a lot of that information. I’d tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I’d read about it in the news or see it in the local paper. She couldn’t help herself.

KAY We were on a hiatus.

MATTHEW About eight years after that I got stable enough with my own position and fame that I was like, “You know what? My mom can say whatever the hell she wants.” It’s much more fun now.

Levi, what were the expectations for you and your siblings growing up? 

LEVI We always had chores. We started off with an allowance. Then as we got older, it was still chores, but the allowance slowly . . .

MATTHEW . . . turned into more “This is how you pay your way.”

LEVI Exactly. “This is how you get Christmas presents.”

As a dad to two teens and a tween, Matthew, what has surprised you about fatherhood?

MATTHEW It’s more DNA than I thought. I thought it was 90 percent environment, 10 percent DNA, when it’s closer to the opposite. Kids are who they are.

Do the McConaugheys have any family traditions at home in Austin? 

MATTHEW Camila holds on to more rituals than MaMac and the rest of the family. There are certain things that we practice that take precedent, nonnegotiably, whether that’s gathering for dinner and sharing about our day or cooking a meal together or taking trips together. Camila puts out the effort to make sure that we do a lot together. 

Levi, have you felt any pressure of being “Matthew McConaughey’s son”?

LEVI Yeah, it’s just starting. And as much as people can say, “Oh, you got this because of your father or your mother,” they can open the door, but then it’s going to be up to me to do my thing once I get in there. That’s on me. 

MATTHEW There’s a line between entitlement and shame. If you can look it right in the eye and deal with it, and if it works out, you’ll see, it’s a hell of a roller coaster.

Matthew, how have you prepared Levi not only for show business, but to be in the public eye? 

MATTHEW I’ve tried to give him some tips that I’ve learned along the way, tried to give him some of those tips earlier than I understood them. It’s hard to keep your feet on the ground to sift out the real stuff from the BS. But over time you’ve got to get that sixth sense. It’s important that he has his own ownership of who he is and becomes. And [acting] will be a part of that if he continues to do it, part of finding his identity, but it can’t be his full identity.