Matthew McConaughey Wore A Gorilla Suit For Jamey Johnson’s 2010 “Playing The Part” Music Video

Mcconaughey jamey johnson country music
Jamey Johnson

Matthew McConaughey is no stranger to funny stories.

From telling ladies he made custom boots for George Strait, to doing peyote with a mountain lion, to getting arrested for loudly playing the bongos late into the night (fully naked, none the less), to trying to donate the profits from a wager with Jamey Johnson to Gamblers Anonymous, McConaughey is a friend of the weird…

Well, let’s add another to the list.

I recently found out Matthew and Jamey Johnson were good friends on Justin Moore’s podcast, and while they briefly mentioned this story, I think it’s worth another tell…

McConaughey is obviously superstar actor, but he has also been involved in a good amount of behind the camera work through the years as well. Jamey Johnson released his album The Guitar Song in 2010, and decided he needed a music video for one of the songs, “Playing The Part,” which is about missing his old life and where he’s from while going through the motions to make it in the Hollywood.

“When the only LA I knew was lower Alabama
Back when me and Hannah were wishing on a southern star
Now its so complicated, I really hate it, why’d I ever want to go so far
Taking depression pills in the Hollywood Hills
Acting like I’m playing the part…”

Well, when you’re friends with a hot shot (and superb talent) like McConaughey, who is certainly in the Hollywood scene but by no means consumed by it, it’s probably a pretty short list of who you call to direct the video…

The result? A 7 minutes and 25 seconds ridiculous, weird, yet clever, reflection of what most of Hollywood is: a bunch of people playing dress up and acting like they’re more important than they are.

Took me a second, but the main character being dressed as a gorilla is actually pretty smart, I mean how many people are stuck in a monkey suit and just try to play the part every day? It’s a lot…

Oh yeah, and the man in the gorilla suit? None other than McConaughey himself.

Even though he was the man directing, just couldn’t help but hop in there and show everyone how it’s done. And that dance, come on now, it was just great…

Jamey Johnson and Matthew McConaughey are pretty different in a lot of ways, but very similar in ethos. Popular outlaws, at the outskirts of the inner circle. Part of the scene, but in no way controlled by it.

I’d kill to be a fly on the wall for a night out with those two…

And who could forget his performance in Trisha Yearwood’s “Walkaway Joe” video?

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