Matthew McConaughey lost 47 pounds for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club,” telling Jay Leno that he “was pretty much a hermit” for about six months before and during filming.
“I ate my fish, my vegetables and I had my wine,” McConaughey said — just much smaller portions. The actor estimated that he ate 1,700 or 1,800 calories a day to prepare for the role.
Earlier, the “Tonight Show” conversation covered the Halloween trouble that McConaughey got himself into as a boy.
“A few times I’m glad I had a mask on,” the actor joked.
Also read: Why Matthew McConaughey Embraced a Homophobe ‘Bastard’ in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
But the interview became animated when McConaughey recanted his recent dangerous Canadian wilderness adventure with young son, Levi. Upon discovering wolf prints by an Alberta river, McConaughey and son decided that the best course of action would be to find the dangerous animals, naturally.
Along the way, the father-son duo found berries that grizzly bears eat. Levi picked them and put them in his pockets, with the actor warning his son multiple times that he’d “better be quick” if a hungry grizzly comes.
At the end of their extremely long day of exploration, McConaughey discovered berry goo in his own pockets. He asked his son why he transferred the berries to his father’s pockets.
“You’re quicker than me, Papa,” Levi said.
Watch the clips: