Matthew McConaughey Doesn’t Want His Kids to Be ‘Exactly’ Like Him: Here’s Why (Exclusive)
Matthew McConaughey Doesn’t Want His Kids to Be ‘Exactly’ Like Him: Here’s Why (Exclusive)
Erin ClackSun, August 16, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC
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Matthew McConaughey explained why he doesn’t want his children to be “exactly” like him in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
The actor shares three kids with his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey
Matthew stars in the new movie The Rivals of Amziah King, which is in theaters now
Matthew McConaughey is reflecting on his legacy as a father.
The actor recently sat down for an exclusive interview with PEOPLE to chat about his new movie, The Rivals of Amziah King, in which he plays a beekeeper and bluegrass musician who reunites with his former foster daughter after many years apart and fights to protect his honey business. Touching on the lessons woven into the movie’s story, Matthew, 56, spoke about his hopes that his own children will hold onto some of the wisdom he’s imparted to them.
“Every parent out there, what do you want for your children? You want to pass on some values and things that you built in your own life,” he said.
“You don’t want them to be exactly like you, but you want them to take some things and keep them alive after you are gone,” he continued. “That’s how you become immortal.”
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey with kids Levi, Livingston and Vida at a Texas Longhorns game on Jan. 10, 2025Credit: Levi McConaughey/Instagram
Matthew shares sons Levi, 18, and Livingston, 13, and daughter Vida, 16, with his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey.
Earlier this year, Matthew shared a similar sentiment about his parenthood experience during an appearance on Bear Grylls Is Running Wild. The Interstellar star said he believes the “greatest art” a man can create is being a “good father to a son or a daughter.”
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“I think a man’s a prince until he has children, then he becomes a king. I don’t think there’s anything more important that a man can do,” he told host Bear Grylls. “In fact, man, we’re mortal. That’s the beginning of our immortality, and hopefully, we’re lucky enough for them to have offspring, and it continues to pass that down. I think that’s the greatest art that a man can make is being a good father to a son or a daughter.”
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Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey with kids Livingston, Vida and Levi in April 2025Credit: Rick Kern/FilmMagic
In a 2020 interview with PEOPLE, Matthew said being a dad was always his “only dream.”
“The only thing I ever knew I wanted to be was a father,” he shared. “And it’s remained the pinnacle for me. Being a dad was always my only dream ... I can’t think of anything being more important.”
Matthew has also opened up over the years about his parenting style, including his belief that “tough love” is necessary sometimes.
In a June 2020 cover interview with Town & Country, he shared that loving your kids means “giving them just what they want” at some points and offering them “tough love” at other times.
“Affluent people can give their kids everything they want, but they’re not usually going to get what they need. Loving a child is a lot harder if you really give a damn,” he explained. “ ‘No’ takes a lot more energy. It’s a lot easier to say ‘yes.’ ”
Matthew McConaughey and Angelina LookingGlass in ‘The Rivals of Amziah King’Credit: Black Bear Pictures
In The Rivals of Amziah King, Matthew’s titular character spends time reconnecting with his former foster daughter (Angelina LookingGlass) while teaching her his beekeeping trade in the hopes of carrying on the family business.
“But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah’s rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built,” a synopsis teases.
Directed by Andrew Patterson and written by James Montague, the film also stars Cole Sprouse, Scott Shepherd, Jake Horowitz and Kurt Russell.
The Rivals of Amziah King is in theaters now.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
