Perhaps you’re familiar with this story: Matthew McConaughey’s mother once told him that she met Woody Harrelson’s father around the time McConaughey was conceived. Something that gives rise to the possibility that they are half-siblings. This Hollywood rumor, already a classic, takes a further step with Brothers, the new series in which both portray fictionalized versions of themselves and which premieres on September 23 on Apple TV.
In Brothers, the long friendship between McConaughey and Harrelson is threatened when they discover a secret hidden for decades: that they may indeed be brothers. When Woody’s daughter’s wedding is called off, he gathers the whole family and heads to Austin to spend some time at Matthew’s ranch. But what began as a healing getaway is spoiled when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (played by Holland Taylor), accidentally confesses her big secret. The result is a moving, anarchic, and very funny story about the blurry line that separates myth from reality.
During a press conference for the series’ unveiling, the stars spoke openly about their long real-life friendship and the real family story that inspired Brothers. It all happened eight years ago, when McConaughey and Harrelson were on vacation with their families in Greece. One night, McConaughey’s mother dropped the bomb. “My mother said: ‘Oh, I knew your father, Woody’,” McConaughey recalled.
That remark was enough to send both actors’ imaginations into overdrive, and they promptly began wondering if they might actually be related. “The seed of doubt had been planted,” explained McConaughey. From there, the families began to review the chronology and wonder if, technically, there could have been a relationship between McConaughey’s mother and Harrelson’s father.
What about the DNA test?
«Definitely», insisted Harrelson when asked at the press conference whether he believed the story could be true. That possibility ended up becoming the basis for Apple TV’s series, but for now it has stayed at that. Of course, there’s a very simple way for the two to find out the truth: taking a DNA test.
The two leads of Brothers could be brothers.
«I want to do it, but he refuses», Harrelson explained, while McConaughey responded: «I’ll probably end up doing it». But the Oscar-winning actor added with sarcasm: «If it’s true, I’ll have a lot to come to terms with. If it’s not, it won’t be nearly as fun to hang out with him».
His partner agreed and admitted that he would be “very sad for a while if it’s not true.” This seems to be the main reason McConaughey is reluctant to take the DNA test, as the star of Interstellar joked: «Let’s keep exploring this idea, because I don’t want him to get upset». Woody Harrelson didn’t take long to respond: “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, because I think we’re brothers.” And Matthew McConaughey confirmed it: “He’s totally convinced, I’m not. There you have it.”
From True Detective to Brothers
Although both have conflicting memories about exactly when they first met, they agree that their friendship quickly became something special. McConaughey recalls meeting Harrelson at a party, where he immediately proposed taking a tequila shot despite it being barely noon.
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, in True Detective S1.
Their friendship continued to grow when they worked together in 1999 on the comedy EdTV. But the project they are best remembered for is the acclaimed first season of True Detective. That said, Harrelson revealed that his experience on that series was considerably less fun, since McConaughey stayed totally immersed in his Rust Cohle role “the whole damn day.” Brothers, by contrast, has allowed the pair to make the most of their natural chemistry.
The actors also joked about the possibility of returning to True Detective if its creator, Nic Pizzolatto, came up with another story that would bring them back together. McConaughey admitted that he misses the experience, though Harrelson was less enthusiastic about the idea of returning to play the gruff detective. “I don’t want to see Rust Cohle’s face ever again,” he joked, dashing our hopes of seeing them again in the iconic series.
