Matthew McConaughey reveals reason why he quit acting for 2 years

Is it just me, or does Matthew McConaughey seem like one of those actors that has been around forever?

Much like Reese Witherspoon or Hugh Jackman, the 54-year-old is considered by many to be somewhat of an on-screen veteran (in the most polite way!), being that he appeared in first ever movie, coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused all the way back in 1993, aged just 23.

Since then, the Hollywood legend has gone on to become one of the world's most highly-acclaimed actors, picking up a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Critics Choice Awards.

What many fans of the father-of-three may not realise, however, is that the Dallas Buyers Club frontman actually took a rather lengthy break from acting back in the late noughties for a pretty surprising reason.

The actor has starred in countless rom-coms in the past. (Rick Kern/Getty Images)

For many followers' of McConaughey's incredibly successful career - particularly rom-com fanatics - the first time they were introduced to the Texas star was back in 2001, when he appeared as hunky paediatrician Steve Edison in The Wedding Planner, where he played the love interest of singer Jennifer Lopez.

Amid the handful of thrillers and action hits he released in the two years that followed, he also hit headlines for his role as heartthrob advertising executive Benjamin Barry alongside leading lady Kate Hudson in 2003's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

That same year, however, he also landed a part in 'couple-y' comedy Tiptoes, in which - once again - he played luscious leading role Steven alongside on-screen other-half Kate Beckinsale.

In fact, in the space of eight years (2001-2009), McConaughey appeared in a staggering SEVEN romantic comedy hits.

And whilst his roles in these such movies accumulated the star a colossal fan-base, little did viewers know that - at the time - the actor was dreading being type-cast.

The actor was seemingly afraid of being type-cast. (IMDB/Paramount Pictures)

So much so, that following the release of the final rom-com of this period - 2009's Ghost of Girlfriends Past - he quit acting for two years.

In a chat with Interview recently, the Intersteller star recalled: "I've usually zigged when I felt like Hollywood wanted me to zag.

"When I had my rom-com years, there was only so much bandwidth I could give to those, and those were some solid hits for me. But I wanted to try some other stuff. Of course I wasn't getting it, so I had to leave Hollywood for two years."

The actor also claimed that, during this difficult time, he and wife Camilla Alves - with whom he shares children Levi, 15, Vida, 14, and Livingston, 11 - had several 'long talks' about the future of his career.

"Dude, it was scary," he admitted, also revealing he'd temporarily considered taking up a career as a teacher.

"I honestly thought, 'I stepped out of Hollywood. I got out of my lane.' The lane Hollywood said I should stay in, and Hollywood's like, 'Well, f--k you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane. Later.'"