He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall. McConaughey began his acting career in 1991, appearing in television commercials, before being cast in Richard Linklater’s film Dazed and Confused, which became a critical success, garnering largely positive reviews. After appearing in some smaller roles in Angels in the Outfield, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Boys on the Side, the television series Unsolved Mysteries, and as the male lead in the Trisha Yearwood music video for the song Walkaway Joe, McConaughey’s big break came as the lawyer “Jake Brigance” in the 1996 film A Time to Kill, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name. McConaughey was cast in leading roles in many more movies: Contact, Amistad, The Newton Boys, EDtv, and U-571. By the early 2000s, he was frequently cast in romantic comedies, including The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, both of which were successful at the box office. On September 10, 2000, he appears as himself on the show Sex and the City on HBO, talking with Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) about optioning her columns to make a movie. His foundation is called j.k. livin foundation (all lower-case), which “is dedicated to helping teenage kids lead active lives and make healthy choices to become great men and women.” On October 26, 1999, McConaughey was arrested in Austin, Texas, for resisting arrest following a disturbance in the early hours of the morning and for possession of cannabis. He pled guilty and paid a fine of $50.
