Overview

• The actor explains he left romantic comedies because the work felt unfulfilling and he wanted roles that felt more vital.
• After Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, he paused acting for about 20 months to wait for different parts rather than return to the same genre.
• He recalls his brothers questioning the choice, while his wife Camila Alves supported the plan to hold out for better opportunities.
• He moved his family to Texas and has said he turned down a reported $14.5 million rom-com offer to make clear he was changing course.
• He credits the break with leading to projects like Mud, True Detective and Interstellar and to his Dallas Buyers Club Oscar, and he is also promoting a book in which he revisits a past assault at age 18.