Matthew McConaughey has announced he is not running for governor of Texas, insisting that his time and energy is better spent elsewhere, and ending months of speculation.
The 52-year-old Oscar-winning actor posted a video to Twitter on Sunday evening saying he was honored to be even considered.
'As a simple kid born in the town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,' he said.
'It's a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I am choosing not to take at this moment.'
Matthew McConaughey on Sunday evening confirmed he is not running for governor of Texas
McConaughey has never stated whether he would run as a Democrat, Republican or independent, and instead described his politics as 'aggressively centrist'.
Neither had he outlined any policy priorities, although he is know for his activism on the environment and young people.
The actor, seen in February 2020, never stated whether he would run as a Republican, Democrat or independent
Last year McConaughey published a New York Times bestselling memoir, Greenlights, which he described as a book about 'successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud.'
On Sunday, McConaughey said he had loved the process of deciding whether to run.
'What have I learned? A lot. The we have some problems we need to fix,' he said.
'That our politics needs new purpose. That we have divides that need healing. That we need more trust in our lives.
'That we got to start shining a light on our shared values. The ones that cross party lines. The ones that build bridges instead of burn them.
'That our children are our greatest asset so, hey, let's be as good of parents as we can be.'
McConaughey, pictured in his hometown of Austin, Texas on January 21, said that he had been considering a run for two years
McConaughey has three children with his wife, Brazilian-American model Camila Alves, and they live in Austin.
McConaughey said he would continue to support 'entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders' and 'creating pathways for people to succeed in life.'
