Proud Texan. Oscar winner. Great abs. Loving father and husband. All these things spring to mind when you think of Matthew McConaughey. There are however three sets of words that have become synonymous with the charismatic actor; namely his signature catchphrase “Alright alright alright” from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused.
The catchphrase has since then become a t-shirt slogan and been incorporated into his award-acceptance speeches. Whilst hosting SNL he revealed the origin of the catchphrase in his opening monologue – oh, that’s another thing he’s known for – his storytelling skills. Even though his character Wooderson, a twenty-something man who liked to hang out with teenagers, only had three lines in the entire film he managed to somehow become a cultural phenomenon.
In his monologue McConaughey recounts how he ended up in the cult film, and reveals that he met and befriended the producer in a bar in Texas. “Next thing I know, I’m in a car getting ready to shoot the very first scene of my film acting career, unscripted,” McConaughey says. “Am I nervous? Damn right, I’m nervous”. Having to prepare for the scene very hastily he began thinking, “Who is Wooderson? Who is my man? You know, what’s he about?” And I tell myself, “Wooderson’s about four things: he’s about cars, weed, rock ‘n’ roll, and chicks.”.
After hearing the words “action” he looked up across the drive through and said to himself “Buddy, you got three out of four. Alright, alright, alright!”. There we have it, the phrase that launched his very lucrative career. This appearance also marked his first return to the beloved comedy show since 2003, and it went “okay, okay, okay” – just as he promised it would.
You’re a dependable guy, Matthew. The show also featured musical performances from Adele and J.J. Abrams who stopped by to reveal some never-before-seen screen tests from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
#Peace.Love.MatthewMcConaughey
