Matthew McConaughey's Oscar journey

Matthew McConaughey’s career had started off strong, with a great role in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused. But by 2001, he made the mistake of being the perfect romcom leading man, opposite Jennifer Lopez in this saccharine romance.

Kate Hudson (who also co-starred with McConaughey in 2008’s terrible Fool’s Gold) is the love interest in this film that contains every romcom cliché from the ill-advised bet to the final dash across town.

Sarah Jessica Parker was our hero's object of desire this time. But, by now, McConaughey’s nickname in film circles was Matthew Mahogany: a nod to how tanned and wooden he often appeared on film.

I remember sitting through this romcom in which McConaughey’s womaniser is haunted by… well, you can guess. ‘You are so much better than this,’ I thought, as I watched him reel off the terrible dialogue. Little did I know his transformation was just around the corner…

It started slowly, with a meaty supporting role as an increasingly frustrated town sheriff in this dark comedy from Richard Linklater, who had given McConaughey his first great role back in 1993 with Dazed and Confused.

Read our review of Bernie

As the depraved hitman at the heart of this crime noir, McConaughey changed many people’s perceptions… as well as putting thousands of cinemagoers off fried chicken for life.

Read our review of Killer Joe

Steven Soderbergh cleverly cast McConaughey as a duplicitous male stripper in this drama that also showed us another side of former beefcake Channing Tatum.

Read our review of Magic Mike

The dark, sexually-charged drama divided the critics, but none could quibble with McConaughey’s breathtaking performance as an extremely troubled investigative reporter.

Read our review of The Paperboy

This time, McConaughey was met with universally good reviews. Empire magazine said he ‘exudes intense, sweat-sheened charisma’ and the Telegraph called it ‘his best performance on film to date’. But Mr McConaughey was planning to go one better…

Read our review of Mud

When his Oscar win was announced earlier this year, the McConaissance was complete. Coincidentally, the film co-stars Jennifer Garner, who was his love interest back in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Now that feels like a long time ago...

Read our Dallas Buyers Club review