Back to school has never been better and we have found your favorite professor this semester. The king of romantic comedies, Matthew McConaughey, is now officially a full-time professor at the University of Texas! The Academy Award-winning actor has joined his alma mater as a “professor of practice” at the Moody College of Communication in the Department of Radio-Television-Film. The Hollywood superstar graduated from the university in 1993 with a film degree and will be joining the faculty to help interested students follow in his footsteps. Moody College Dean Jay Bernhardt said, “we are proud to welcome Professor McConaughey to officially join our world-class faculty. Matthew cares deeply for our school and our students, and we are thrilled that he shares his time and talent to help prepare the next generation of media leaders and innovators.”
Matthew McConaughey—a native of Uvalde in Texas—will be teaching a Script to Screen film-production class to film majors. The course will teach eager students how to navigate the world of film production and direction, according to the class description, “byy studying script drafts, shot lists, storyboards, early edits and even exclusive behind the scenes footage, students will garner insight into the making of a major Hollywood feature.”
Professor McConaughey definitely knows a thing or two about film production having starred in over 50 films with production and directing experience as well. He has had a varied career in both film and television spanning decades, as well as taken on diverse roles, proving that he is more than just a handsome face. Gaining fame early in his career with roles in movies like Dazed and Confused and A Time To Kill, later becoming the undisputed king of rom-com with roles in The Wedding Planner and Failure To Launch, then moved into more serious roles in the Dallas Buyers Club for which he received an Oscar for Best Actor.
The university’s communication branch announced via Twitter, “in recognition of his professional pedigree and personal investment in student success, Matthew McConaughey has been appointed a #TEXASMoody professor of practice.” The 49-year-old has been a major part of bringing the class to life having helped design the course’s curriculum and has previously co-taught the class with professor Scott Rice. McConaughey is excited to hit the books this year saying, “it’s the class I wish I would have had when I was in film school. Working in the classroom with these students gives me a chance to prepare them.”
by Amy N. Pugsley
