What I learned about Matthew McConaughey from reading Greenlights

McConaughey turned his 35 years of diaries into a memoir.

3 min readMay 27, 2023

Why I read this book

I listened to an interview with Matthew McConaughey on Kelly Ripa’s podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera. In it, they spoke about Matthew’s memoir, which he wrote after taking his 35 years worth of diaries to the desert to read through and write up his life story.

I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards a celebrity memoir, but I was intrigued that this one was based on the reflections of three and a half decades worth of journaling. I was curious to read what stories he would share having kept a written record of his life for so long.

Why this post

I debated what to write about this book. I was tempted to share its most memorable quotes, but they felt weird to type up. You need to experience them for yourself.

So instead, I thought I would summarize the things that stood out most to be about the book and who Matthew McConaughey is.

He likes to list things

This man loves a list. When he writes a sentence, he can’t just have one verb, or one noun, or one adjective. He likes to list his words out.

Knowing the way he speaks, I get it. There’s a very sing-song style to his talking. That style, though, is a lot to take in when you see it written down.

Take these sentences from the intro to the book:

So, I packed up those journals and took a one-way ticket to solitary confinement in the desert, where I began writing what you hold now: an album, a record, a story of my life so far.
Things I witnessed, dreamed, chased, gave and received….
These are my sights and seens, felts and figured outs, cools and shamefuls.
Graces, truths, and beauties of brutalities.
Initiations, invitations, calibrations, and graduations.

Commas, commas everywhere.

He has his own life philosophy and lingo

The book is called Greenlights for a reason. He uses the term to describe the moments in life that tell us to carry on and give us permission to continue along the path we’re headed.

Every story he shares about his life he ends by writing ‘Greenlight’. So basically he sees everything as a greenlight that’s got him to where he is now.

Alongside greenlights, he uses the terms inevitable and relative a lot. When using these terms, he’s referring to how the outcomes that happen in life are inevitable, but you can get relative in how you deal with it.

He’s also peppered the book with these abstract (and very random) statements he refers to as bumper stickers throughout the book.

Here’s an example:

It’s not vanity, it’s commerce. (Until it’s vanity again?)

What.

They sounded like the kinds of things someone says to try and sound smart, but there isn’t any substance to it. But you do you, Matthew.

His life pre-fame was more interesting to read about

Despite all the weird philosophy stuff, I actually would recommend this book. I think the stories of his life pre-fame are a great read with some really interesting and entertaining anecdotes.

Best stories were the one where his family tried to sue a cosmetic company for a product that gave Matthew acne (the ending is hilarious), and his tales of an exchange programme abroad in Australia staying with a rather memorable family.

Once he starts getting famous, though, the stories aren’t as interesting to read. The book sort of becomes him rattling through his film resume and less detailed with anecdotes.

I’m not sure if it’s because those stories are more recent and he doesn’t want to say anything spicy about an industry he still works in. Or maybe he just got tired of writing after putting so much detail into his early life.

Either way, still worth the read.

10 books in 2023

This is my fifth book recap as part of my 2023 goal to read 10 books this year.

Read my post on why I set this reading goal

Next book

Back to a work book. I’m reading Leading Content Design by Rachel McConnell.