Matthew McConaughey Explains Why He Chose Not to Run for Texas Governor

Matthew McConaughey is opening up about his decision not to run for Governor of Texas. On Tuesday's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 52-year-old actor revealed why now isn't the right time for him to get into politics.

"It was a two-year consideration that I came to the decision, really, over the last couple of months," he said. "I was asking myself the original question and trying to answer, 'How and where and what can I do to be most useful to myself, to my family, and to the most amount of people?'"

While McConaughey gave "great consideration" to "the category of politics," he ultimately decided to focus on his acting career and his family -- wife Camila Alves, and their three kids, Levi, 13, Vida, 11, and Livingston, 8.

"At this point in my life with the things [I have going on]," he said, "I've got a 13-year-old, and 11-year-old, and an 8-year-old, the life I'm living right now, the storytelling I want to keep doing, it's not the category for me at this point in my life."

Fallon asked if McConaughey is ruling out the idea of political office altogether, and the actor replied, "I'm not until I am."

"Someone told me that was a very McConaughey answer the other day," he quipped, before confirming that he'll "be keeping an eye open" when it comes to political opportunities.

Last month, McConaughey revealed that he'd opted not to seek political office, after rumors swirled about his intention to run.

"As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership," he said in an Instagram video. "It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I am choosing not to take at this moment."

Instead of running for governor, or any political office, McConaughey said that he plans to "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. And organizations that have a mission to serve and build trust, while also generating prosperity."

During his Tonight Show appearance, McConaughey opened up about his holiday plans with his wife, his kids, and their extended family.

"This year we're going to get all the McConaughey family. We're also getting Camila's family," he explained. "When we do that, when we have that multicultural Christmas, Christmas lasts a long time at our place."

"They celebrate on the 24th, midnight you exchange presents. You have the big sit-down dinner, you get the china out for the first time all year. If it was up to my family it'd be paper plates, thank you Camila for having a better ritual," McConaughey continued. "And then we do that that night, and then we get up the next day and do our Christmas, which is everyone opens presents, Santa came."

The whole thing takes so long, McConaughey revealed, because of a rule his mom, Kay McConaughey, continues to implement.

"The problem, the reason that I say it's longer already, is my mother, who's 90, still demands that everyone open their present and everyone watch one person open their present at a time," he shared. "You've got a big Brazilian family, you've got a big McConaughey family, there's a family of 20. There's a lot of presents, thankfully. It may be dark on the 25th when we're done opening presents from that morning."

Ahead of Christmas, McConaughey, Alves, and their kids all stepped out to attend the premiere of his latest flick, Sing 2.

"I've got more street cred at the dinner table now," he told ET at the premiere, about impressing his kids by starring in the animated flick. "We went years and people would say, 'What's your kids' favorite film that you've done?' And I'd go, 'They haven't seen any! I haven't made anything they can see!'" 

Sing 2 will hit theaters on Dec. 22.

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