He grew up in a small town in Texas, in a house full of noise, laughter, and strong family values. His parents divorced and remarried each other twice, a wild detail that shaped his view of love as passionate and unpredictable. As a boy, he loved the outdoors, spent summers barefoot, and often said his happiest hours were spent fishing and exploring nature with his brothers.

He studied at a university in Texas, where he first planned to become a lawyer. But a chance decision to read a popular self-help book changed his path completely, pushing him toward acting instead. His first big break came almost by accident, when he was discovered at a hotel bar and cast in a film shortly after, with almost no professional training.

Through the 1990s, he became known for his easy Southern charm and a distinctive raspy voice. He built a career playing charming leading men in romantic comedies, becoming a favorite face for female audiences across the world. Yet many people did not expect him to prove himself as a serious dramatic actor, something he would do later in a dramatic shift.

In the early 2010s, he made a bold career change, choosing smaller, darker films over big commercial roles. This transformation, later called by fans and critics a remarkable reinvention, led to his greatest triumph: an Academy Award for Best Actor, for a role in which he lost a dramatic amount of body weight to portray a man fighting for his life.

Today, he is married with three children, and lives a quieter, more grounded life, often talking about faith, family, and simple living. He has become known not only as an actor, but also as an author, a professor, and a public speaker. Can you guess who this Texas-born, Oscar-winning actor is? It’s Matthew McConaughey — and here’s how he looks now.