McConaughey Unveils Candid Poetry Collection with Surprising Revelations

Austin, Sept. 16, 2025 - Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey today released Poems & Prayers, a deeply personal poetry collection in which the actor chronicles quitting weed, nearly going broke and even “taking a poop” on tape, while offering marriage advice.

A heartfelt collection born from decades of writing McConaughey’s first book of poetry spans entries he began at age 18 and completes at 55, blending “wisdom for navigating faith and family” with unflinching honesty about fame’s ups and downs and society’s struggle with truth.

Bold confessions and life lessons

• Being ‘broke’ and quitting weed: In an early poem from 1994, McConaughey recounts living on $2,000 in Los Angeles, sleeping on a friend’s couch and convincing himself “I was right on time, and not behind it,” before detailing his decision to give up marijuana.
• Taking a poop on tape: With trademark candor, the actor describes an awkward recording session where a bathroom break became a poetic moment about “embracing reality to access the dream”.
• Consequences and faith: He explores how every choice yields both positive and negative outcomes and laments a cultural drift from objective truth toward “flawed reasoning and falsehoods”.

Marriage counsel in verse

In “Smaller Beds,” McConaughey advises couples to downsize from king to queen mattresses to foster closeness, drawing on his 13-year marriage to Camila Alves and his mantra to “recalibrate the gauges” of family, faith and career.

What’s next for McConaughey?

• Poems & Prayers is available now in bookstores and online.
• The actor will embark on a poetry-and-prayer tour across five cities, featuring live readings underscored by friends-turned-musicians.
• His new film The Lost Bus arrives in theaters Sept. 19 before streaming Oct. 3 on Apple TV+.