Matthew McConaughey announces he's not running for Texas governor
Following months of speculation, Matthew McConaughey has made it official: He will not be running for Texas governor.
The 52-year-old actor made the announcement in an Instagram video posted on Sunday evening.
In the three-minute-long recording, he said that political leadership is a "humbling and inspiring path to ponder," but added, "It is also a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment."
The "Dallas Buyers Club" Oscar winner shared that over the past two years he's been working on the answer to the question of how he can be the most useful.
That included "considering a run for the governor of Texas," for which he's been "studying Texas politics and American politics" in an effort to better understand how he could be of service.
"What have I learned? A lot," he said. "That we have some problems we need to fix. That our politics needs new purpose. That we have divides that need healing. That we need more trust in our lives. That we've got to start shining a light on our shared values -- the ones that cross party lines, the ones that build bridges instead of burn them..."
He then spoke about the value of service.
"I've learned that freedom comes with responsibility, and that great leaders serve," McConaughey said. "Whether a politician, a CEO, star quarterback, a mother, father, husband, wife, brother, friend, mentor or teacher, we lead by serving each other. We lead through our service. What is service? Service is taking on responsibility today, so we can have more freedom tomorrow. Service is making the better choice for you and for me."
So what will McConaughey pursue if not a political career?
The actor said he will "continue to work and invest the bounty I have by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders, establishments that I believe are creating pathways for people to succeed in life, organizations that have a mission to serve and build trust while also generating prosperity. That’s the American dream."
