A Time to Chill

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Six months ago, in between takes on the We Are Marshall set in Atlanta, McConaughey was plumbing those hidden depths while pounding away at his BlackBerry, rewriting the inspirational speech he was about to deliver to his team of ragtag new recruits. Even McG wasn' t prepared for McConaughey's full-immersion approach to the role. ''He's completely Method,'' says the director. ''He shows up in character and is extraordinarily focused. You don't think the guy riding his bike through the hills of Malibu is necessarily an earnest actor, but he is.''

Later, when not stalking the sidelines and shouting motivational epithets at his players warming up, McConaughey was playfully jockeying for a glance at this reporter's notebook. ''Tick, tick, tick, tick,'' he said, simulating the sound of brain wheels turning. The actor was in full coach regalia, polyester shorts and sport shirt (tucked in and belted, of course) and tube socks pulled up to his knees. It was a far cry from the shirtless Adonis look that made him the Sexiest Man Alive. But he's embracing his job on the field with full-throttle gusto, as if it were some crazy adventure that came to him in a dream. ''I saw you write the words 'true believer,' '' he said, before trotting out to where his team awaited him. ''Well, awl riiight! That pretty much sums it all up.''

Originally posted Dec 14, 2006 Published in issue #912 Dec 22, 2006 Order article reprints

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