Matthew McConaughey credited Janet Jackson with helping him quit smoking weed after one unforgettable birthday disaster. The actor recalled getting too high, missing his own party, and playing one song 24 times.
The bizarre episode happened during the early 1990s, when McConaughey said stronger hydroponic weed started gaining popularity. His unlikely soundtrack became Jackson’s 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes.”
Matthew McConaughey says Janet Jackson’s ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ inspired him to quit weed
According to Rolling Stone, McConaughey discussed ten songs that shaped his life. He revealed that Jackson’s sultry hit also changed his relationship with marijuana.
“What a cool, groovy little tune,” McConaughey said. “It’s also the reason I quit smoking weed.”
McConaughey recalled driving to his own birthday party when a friend offered him a joint. His friends had rented an entire nightclub for the celebration.
“Before I go, my buddy hands me this joint,” he recalled. “Here, man. Have some of this, it’s super fun.”
The actor took one hit inside his car. He quickly realized the weed felt much stronger than anything he previously smoked.
McConaughey then played Jackson’s song repeatedly instead of joining his birthday guests. “I listened to Janet Jackson’s ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ 24 times in a row,” he said.
When he finally entered the club, everyone had already left. McConaughey realized he had spent his entire party inside his car.
“They’d all left, ’cause I sat in the frickin’ car listening to ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ 24 times,” he recalled.
The actor admitted the experience convinced him to quit weed. “Love the song, didn’t love the weed,” he said. “Still like the tune, though.”
Jackson released the song as the lead single from her Janet. album in April 1993. The track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The same year brought McConaughey’s breakthrough as David Wooderson in Dazed and Confused. He later developed a strong connection between music and his acting process.
For The Rivals of Amziah King, he created playlists based on his character’s musical perspective. He said Richard Linklater taught him that technique during Dazed and Confused.
McConaughey explained that music created “a sense of space and place” without telling actors what to do.
TELL US – WOULD MISSING YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY PARTY MAKE YOU QUIT WEED TOO?
