The storytelling power of Matthew McConaughey is never in question, which is why he went to the well to pull out a classic for his SNL monologue. You’ve likely heard this tale detailing the origins of ‘alright, alright, alright’ from an interview back in 2011, but that doesn’t mean it has lost its greatness. It has all the hallmarks of the great McConaughey stories we’ve heard in the past: a bar, drinking, the loosest job offers you’ll ever hear, and smooth talking the ladies.
Of course, these ladies were actresses and McConaughey was playing a character himself. But he manages to take his first acting gig and channel into something he literally becomes in front of the camera. As Richard Linklater tells him, “this is Wooderson.” He becomes the guy, earns himself a larger role in the film, and crafts a line that would become his trademark.
It’s no “cultural exchange” at The Paradise Club, but it is a damn fine story. Give him a one-man show or some sort of storytelling road show like A Prarie Home Companion — just a lot more laid back and fun — and I guarantee you could sell out. He could pick out all the lawbreakers in the audience and show off his bongo skills. Beer on tap. Fun times. Good tunes. Alright, alright…alright.
(Via SNL)
