Matthew McConaughey has decided he won't run for governor of Texas in 2022, having recently toyed with the idea of making a move into politics.
In a video shared to Instagram, the Interstellar actor revealed he wouldn't be throwing his hat in the ring, having "learned a lot" in the process of exploring the idea.
"Over the past two years, I've been working on the answer to the question of how I can be most useful in this life going forward. Useful to myself, useful to my family and to the most amount of people," McConaughey said in the clip.
"One category of service I've been exploring is politics. I've been considering a run for the governor of Texas.
"What have I learned? A lot. That we have some problems we need to fix. That our politics needs new purpose. That we have divides that need healing," he continued.
The Oscar winner recalled being a "simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas," saying it never occurred to him that he might one day be considered for political leadership.
"It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I'm choosing not to take at this moment."
Instead, McConaughey said he would "continue to work and invest the bounty I have by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders, establishments that I believe are creating pathways for people to succeed in life, organisations that have a mission to serve and build trust while also generating prosperity.
"That's the American dream."
A poll from the Dallas Morning News showed that the 52-year-old father of three likely would have fared well had he entered the gubernatorial race, showing that "by nearly 2-to-1, all voters would be more likely to support McConaughey than [Democrat candidate Beto] O'Rourke".
McConaughey never declared whether he would run as a Republican or a Democrat, and had a mandated deadline of December 13 to decide whether or not to put himself forward.
