Matthew McConaughey is no stranger to Hollywood paydays, but one of his most iconic and career-defining roles came with a surprisingly modest pay cheque.

Despite earning rave reviews and winning an Academy Award for his transformative performance as Ron Woodroof in the 2013 biopic Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey was paid just under $200,000 (£162,000) for the role – a far cry from his usual multimillion-dollar deals.

Dallas Buyers Club tells the true story of Ron Woodroof, a hard-living Texas cowboy diagnosed with AIDS in the mid-1980s. Initially given only weeks to live, Woodroof refused to accept his grim prognosis. Instead, he smuggled unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into Texas to treat his symptoms, ultimately living for seven more years and helping thousands of others affected by the devastating disease.

The film highlighted the stigma and misinformation surrounding the AIDS crisis at the time and earned McConaughey his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor.

The movie’s success and McConaughey’s jaw-dropping performance – which involved losing nearly 3st 7lb to embody the role – left many wondering why he accepted such a small fee.

After all, this is an actor who, just a few years earlier, had been one of Hollywood’s most bankable romcom stars.

The answer lies in McConaughey’s career shift and personal priorities at the time. Back in 2008, the actor was offered a staggering $15 million to star in Universal and Imagine’s big-screen adaptation of Magnum, P.I. But, in a move that shocked many, he turned it down.

Instead, McConaughey chose to pursue smaller, more meaningful projects that reignited his passion for acting – including Dallas Buyers Club. Speaking on the Modern Wisdom podcast, he explained: “I’d rather make a profit in my life instead of my bank account.”

While McConaughey admitted he does “love money” – “I’m all for it” – he added that he wasn’t about “chasing the dollar” at the expense of more fulfilling opportunities.

Reflecting on his earlier romcom era, which included box office hits like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, he told The Guardian: “I enjoyed them, but I was looking for something to be turned on by.”

The decision to forego big paydays in favour of meaningful roles marked a turning point for McConaughey. At the time, his recent projects, such as Sahara and Fool’s Gold, had struggled at the box office, leaving him eager for a fresh start. Along came Dallas Buyers Club – a project with a shoestring budget but immense creative potential.

Though the $200,000 fee was a fraction of what McConaughey was accustomed to, the role proved to be worth far more in terms of artistic fulfilment and career impact.

In the end, McConaughey’s gamble paid off. His portrayal of Ron Woodroof not only earned him an Oscar but also helped redefine his career, paving the way for future hits like Interstellar and True Detective.