TrendPulse Logo

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much

Source: VarietyView Original
entertainmentMay 15, 2026

May 15, 2026 5:41am PT

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much

By

Zack Sharf

Plus Icon

Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

ZSharf

Latest

-

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much

1 hour ago

-

Jordana Brewster Wants More Practical Action Scenes and ‘Agency’ in Last ‘Fast and Furious’ Movie, Says Mia Became ‘More Passive’ as Franchise Went On

4 hours ago

-

‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Gets Divided First Reactions, From a ‘Thrilling Adventure’ to ‘One of the Weakest Star Wars Movies’ and a ‘Snooze Fest’

7 hours ago

See All

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Rick Kern/Getty Images

Matthew McConaughey revealed on the “No Magic Pill” podcast (via People) that he once exiled himself from Hollywood and lived without electricity for 22 days in Peru when the pressures of early fame became too much for him to handle. He exclusively went by Mateo during this period as to further disassociate himself from his celebrity status.

“I needed to get my feet on the ground,” McConaughey said. “So I click out. Boom. Go to Peru. I needed to find it, to check the validation. I knew I had it, I just had to go prove it again. But I did question, now that I just got famous, I’ve got all this affiliation for this and that and the other. And I’m trying to decipher which part’s real, which part’s bullshit.”

Popular on Variety

Related Stories

'Rockford Files' Reboot, Cop Drama 'Line of Fire' Picked Up to Series at NBC

Matthew McConaughey Exiled Himself From Hollywood and Lived in Peru as Mateo for 22 Days Without Electricity When Fame Became Too Much | TrendPulse