July 4th: Matthew McConaughey Has a Passionate Message Americans Need to See

Matthew McConaughey wants to inspire Americans this Independence Day. The True Detective and Interstellar actor uploaded a video on Saturday morning that featured a motivating message. In the 65-second clip, McConaughey, 50, wears a red, white and blue headband as he speaks into the camera.

McConaughey wished the U.S. a happy birthday, noting it was a tough and tense time for many right now. “We are going through some growing pains in this one, aren’t we?” he said, adding that “It is hotter in more ways than one, but growing pains are a good thing because how the hell else are we going to grow up?”

He then told his fans to ask themselves a series of questions: “How can I be better? How can I expect more of myself and others? How can I be more responsible? How can I have more compassion? How can I have more courage? How can I be more fair? How do I make sure that I wear the damn mask?”

He hopes all the fans of his work and personality join him in wearing masks and taking other measures to help the country get through the coronavirus pandemic and other social issues citizens are grappling. “That’s how we get to next year’s birthday and birthdays beyond that,” he said. “And we start partying again, looking around and saying ‘Oh yeah, we always got work to do. We never arrived, but we improved. That’s our chance. That’s our opportunity. That’s on me. That’s on you.

“It’s game time: Ding, ding. We are in the ring, America,” he said in his classic drawl. “Let’s quit messing about and get it done,” closing out his speech with his famous tagline: “Just keep livin.’” While it’s unlikely McConaughey’s post will change the tide in American attitudes towards the current crises, lots were inspired by it. Even though some were angered he mentioned face masks, many praised McConaughey for blessing their timelines with a bit of his wisdom.