Matthew McConaughey didn't get the roles he wanted for almost two years.
The actor triumphed at Sunday night's Golden Globe awards, taking home Best Actor (Drama) for his role in 'Dallas Buyers Club', cementing his move from romantic comedy star to serious dramatic actor, and he's pleased with the way things have turned out.
Speaking about his transition, he told AccessHollywood.com: 'I had a few things going for me. One, I had enough money in my bank account where I could say, 'I'm going to say no to some things that I've been saying yes to,' and my rent is going to be paid and the kids are going to eat.'
Matthew - who is father to Vida, three, Levi, five, and Livingston, 12 months - also credits his wife, Camila Alves, with being understanding and supportive through the difficult period.
He added: 'That was a real privilege to be able to say that at the time ... plus I had a first child coming into the world [and I] said, 'I'm going to say no to some things for a while.' I got down with my wife and I said, 'I don't know how long it's going to be dry' and it did dry out. It dried up for about 18 months to two years.'
Although he has changed the type of roles he takes, Matthew, 44, has no regrets about any aspect of his career.
He said: 'My career was going fine. I enjoyed my career. I enjoyed romantic comedies. I enjoyed the action comedies. I enjoyed the action movies that I was doing. I enjoyed all those. I just wanted to shake up my career, recalibrate, shift gears, and evolve a little bit to do something that was turning me on at this time in my life. Call that turning 40 as a man. It could be many things. Call it having a family. All of these things add to it.'
