The Untold Truth Of Dazed And Confused

Matthew McConaughey is one of the most famous alums from "Dazed and Confused." While the cast members were mostly unknowns, though, McConaughey was one of the few with no professional acting career at all. The film school-trained actor got the role simply by being in the right bar at the right time.

Casting director Don Phillips was drinking in a hotel bar and, "in walks McConaughey with this absolutely gorgeous girlfriend," McConaughey explains in "Alright, Alright, Alright." He went on to say that he chose that specific bar because his friend was the bartender, so he could drink for free. But when he found out Phillips worked in movies, aspiring filmmaker McConaughey started chatting him up. Several hours later they were smoking a joint (Phillips claims it was in his room, McConaughey claims it was on a car ride home) when Phillips asked the young man if he'd ever acted.

"Well tomorrow morning," McConaughey quotes Phillips as saying, "Come by this address I'll have a script waiting for you. It's a small part in here, but it's about this guy who's older and he's still hanging out in high school; he likes the chickies. And you might be just right for the part." The rest is film history.