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Matthew McConaughey’s new movie, The Lost Bus, is out in theaters on September 19 before moving over to Apple TV+ on October 3. It’s an adaptation of a book based on the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California. Matthew plays a bus driver who’s trying to get school children and their teacher to safety.
The Lost Bus co-stars America Ferrera as the teacher and Yul Vazquez as a fire battalion chief. Matthew’s 17-year-old son, Levi, and 93-year-old mother, Kay, have small roles in the film. If you’re wondering whether or not Levi McConaughey is Hollywood’s next nepo baby, Matthew doesn’t want you to. According to Matthew, he made Levi audition for his part (playing Matthew’s movie-son). Not only did MM make his son audition for it, he also made him audition without using his last name. There’s no favoritism if the director doesn’t know your last name!
During a Q&A after the screening, McConaughey brought Levi onto the stage before proudly sharing how he came to be cast in the film.
“I had no idea that this young man, my son, was interested [in acting], but when I pitched the script to the family, as I always do before work, the part about Kevin [McKay] having a son, he asked me one day, ‘Well, how old is he?’ I said, ‘He’s about your age.’ And then he goes, ‘Think I could read for it?’ And I didn’t say anything. That wasn’t enough to make me say ‘maybe’ or anything.”
The actor continued, “He came back four more times and I said, ‘Okay, now he’s working for it, for the idea.’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ I knew they hadn’t cast the part. Pulled out the camera, worked with him on a scene, and sent that to [casting director] Francine Maisler, and I said — remember I had a note? — I said, ‘I think it might be good enough for a callback.’ And she wrote back, ‘I think it might be good enough to show to Paul.’ ”
McConaughey said he told Maisler, “When you do that, will you do me one favor? Will you pull the last name off so it’s just, there’s no McConaughey on the end of that?”
“She said yes,” the star recalled. “Next call I got, [Paul] said, he goes, ‘That’s the guy, that’s the son.’ And then he was told, ‘Well, that happens to be Matthew’s son.’ And in Paul fashion, he was like, ‘Even better!’ … So this is all due to Paul. My family’s in this film because of this man to the left.”
I like that Matthew made Levi audition without using his last name, and I buy that he had no idea that his son wanted to get into acting before he spoke up about this role. I can also believe that Matthew is very conscious about the whole nepobaby conversation going on right now. That said, I have questions! What last name did Levi use? I’m presuming that it wasn’t Levi Alves. Did he pull a Jack McFarland and go by “Just Levi?” Jokes aside, I honestly don’t have a problem with Matthew’s mom and kid playing his family in a few scenes in a movie. I am, however, side-eyeing the fact that the casting director allegedly didn’t tell the director that he was watching Matthew’s son. I’ve seen The Studio! There’s no way that Paul Greengrass had no idea who Levi was. It’s cute that Matthew thinks that, though.
That said, The Lost Bus is my kind of movie. I probably won’t watch it in theaters, but I will definitely stream it. Speaking of, I like this new trend of studios releasing movies exclusively in theaters for a few weeks before then adding them to the streaming services. It feels like a decent compromise between those who still prefer the theater experience and those who are content watching a movie at home.
Handsome kid.
And alright alright alright Matthew – I’m sure no one knew that was your son 👌
😁
Yeahhhhhh… I’m not even necessarily doubting Matthew’s effort or telling but it’s still the nepo-baby effect. Matthew has a direct line to the casting director (which a lot of up and coming actors wouldn’t) and the casting director isn’t going to tell her already cast star “no” to seeing his son’s tape. The casting director then has a direct line to the film director and whether the director knew or not (cynic in me says he did, last name included or not) the point is, the connections were directly available to be taken advantage of. It took two calls (one by Matthew). And I am not debating whether Levi has talent, not the point, it’s great if he does and I don’t begrudge him his connections, we all lean on our connections, but it’s a sort of fiction to say “oh goodness he got this totally on his merit and not because of who his father is because he hid his last name” when that’s just objectively not the case.
What an awful parent, trying to help his child.
Um, calling BS on this. No way in hell the casting director did NOT tell the director that #1 on the call sheet was submitting his own son for the part. The kid was a Must Hire. And, as a complete unknown, would have had to be studio-approved before the director or casting director could even consider him. With zero credits, the ONLY way the kid could’ve been studio-approved is because he’s a Nepo Baby. He may very well be a good actor, but landing this role is absolutely not proof of concept.
Did his mother also audition without a last name? Did he also give his mother pointers on how to approach the scene? What Matthew is trying very hard not to see is that, as his son, Levy got inside information by the star of the movie about a role he decided he may be interested in, info that the role has not been cast yet, actual help in rehearsing the scene with the star, the star (and father) then personally sends the “audition” tape of this newcomer to the casting director, there’s a wink-wink discussion between the star and the casting director about hiding the identity of newcomer, then the casting director sends the audition tape to the director presumably in recommendation of this totally unconnected newcomer. Yeah, I see no privilege there. All that Matthew McConaughey described is called having “the inside track” on an available role, which is just as important a part of nepotism as flashing a famous last name. Now, I don’t see nepotism as a black-and-white issue, but please don’t pretend it was not a classic case here.
I just wanted to add that, in this case, Levy the son, didn’t even have to go from office to office or look around for suitable roles. His daddy/the star of the movie brought him all the details during their discussions over the dinner table. And he never had to study acting, like a waiter’s son. Come on.
Mother McConaughey was absolutely a Must Hire as well.
It’s also kind of silly to work so hard to explain how his kid got the role of playing…his kid. Nobody would blink an eye at that. Ditto for his mom playing his mom. 🙄
There’s a documentary on Netflix called “Fire in Paradise” about the Camp Fire and it tells about the school children, teachers, and bus driver, along with other victims and how they escaped. Very emotional.
Levi is a good looking kid.
Anyone else notice how much his mom Levi looks?
Right?? That’s Camilla’s whole face. (And hair and skin tone and jaw.)
Look, I like that Matthew made him go through the whole process of auditioning like a normie. If he’s serious about acting, there’s value in making him manage his time, the communication, the nerves. But let’s not pretend Levi just magically got the role TO PLAY MATTHEW MCCONAUGHY’S SON out of thin air.
Sure
But GUYYYYYS, his son asked his dad four times if he could read for the part! He WORKED for it! Or… at least for the IDEA of it.
Like Debbie said, I don’t see nepotism as black and white — but this is priceless. And it’s a little shocking to me that McConaughey is so disconnected from reality that he honestly thinks people would buy the story.
“I knew they hadn’t cast the part. Pulled out the camera, worked with him on a scene, and sent that to [casting director] Francine Maisler, and I said — remember I had a note? — I said, ‘I think it might be good enough for a callback.’” — How many other kids has he done that much for?
He looks like Oscar Isaac!
I understand not wanting people to feel like you aren’t working for something, but you don’t have to be totally allergic to admitting that you got/gave help.
suuuuuuure Jan, whatever you say
They should consider casting him for the role of the guy who killed the United Healthcare CEO.