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Matthew McConaughey's mum said one word that made him and Woody Harrelson realise they could be brothers

Home> Entertainment> Celebrity

Updated 15:46 9 Mar 2025 GMTPublished 12:20 8 Mar 2025 GMT

Matthew McConaughey's mum said one word that made him and Woody Harrelson realise they could be brothers

It has long been speculated that the stars are related

Jess Battison

Jess Battison

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are easily two very recognisable faces in Hollywood, but they’re also two of the most easily mistaken.

I mean, the two celebrities look so similar it’s uncanny and it doesn’t exactly help that they’ve formed such a close friendship and often appear together both on and off-screen.

And maybe it doesn’t just stop at a bromance as McConaughey’s mum said one word to Harrelson that made them realise they could actually be brothers.

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With plenty of conspiracy theories from fans and comments like this being made, Harrelson recently said the pair are probably going to take a DNA test to set the record straight.

The pair met for the first time back in 1999 when they starred in comedy film EDtv, but it does seem like their connection could go way back.

That all comes down to a conversation between the pair while they were on holiday in Greece with family, including McConaughey’s mum, Mary Kathleen 'Kay' McConaughey.

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During that trip, McConaughey said she mentioned one word that made things seem deeper than they could’ve imagined.

"In Greece a few years ago, we’re sitting around talking about how close we are and our families," the 54-year-old said on the Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast.

"And my mom is there, and she says, 'Woody, I knew your dad'. Everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew’.

"It was a loaded K-N-E-W."

Come on, it's uncanny. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Come on, it's uncanny. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

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He also said: "And that’s part of our bromance, right? My kids call him Uncle Woody. His kids call me Uncle Matthew etc etc. And you see pictures of us and my family thinks a lot of pictures of him are me. His family thinks a lot of pictures of me are him."

The Interstellar actor said the two film stars went on to 'unpack what this 'knew' meant and did some math'.

They found out Harrelson's dad had been on furlough at the same time McConaughey's mum and dad were in their second divorce (they literally got married three times).

Harrelson said: "The year of [McConaughey's] birth, nine months before, she was on a sabbatical from her relationship with his supposed father, Jim."

Their bromance could be deeper than just a friendship. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Their bromance could be deeper than just a friendship. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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"Then there’s possible receipts and places out in West Texas where there might have been a gathering, or a meeting, or a ‘knew’ moment," McConaughey added.

While the pair have previously edged away from doing DNA tests due to McConaughey being uneasy at the idea of finding out his dad wasn’t his biological father, it’s starting to seem possible.

“Well, we haven't done the DNA test, but we're probably going to do that. I think there's a real possibility," Harrelson told Johnny Vaughan on Radio X.

He also spoke of the ‘troubling’ ellipses of Mary’s ‘knew’ in Greece as he added: “Yeah, it sounds like something went on. And the thing was Matthew's mom and dad divorced. They were married three times.

"Yeah. So, they'd split for a while, and during one of those splits, Charles Harrelson just seemed to find a little favour with her.”

Featured Image Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images

Topics: Celebrity, Matthew McConaughey, Sex and Relationships, Parenting

Jess Battison
Jess Battison

Jess is a Senior Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include asking everyone in the office what they're having for tea, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021.

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@jessbattison_

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