Matthew McConaughey is still scared of his mother - even at the age of 47.
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
The Oscar-winning actor was raised along with his two brothers in Texas by his mother Mary and his late father James and he readily admits his mum, a former kindergarten teacher and published author, was an intimidating character when he was a kid and still is now at the ripe old age of 84.
In an interview on the 'Fitzy and Wippa Show' on radio station Nova FM, he said: "She's 84, but she's still spry."
McConaughey still to this day will not answer to abbreviations of his Christian name, like 'Matt' or 'Matty', due to an incident at kindergarten when his mother Mary, who was also his teacher, admonished him for answering to a nickname.
He remembered: "I answered to Matt one time when I was in kindergarten, when my Mum was my teacher. My buddy goes, 'Hey Matt! Wanna play on the monkey bars?' and I said, 'Yeah,' and ran to the monkey bars ... and next thing I know I feel a hand on my shoulder pull me back and body slam me to the ground - and it was my mother. She says to me, 'What's your name?' and I said, 'Matthew ...' and she goes, 'Why did you answer to Matt?' And I said, 'I don't know, I knew he was talking to me!' Then she said 'Don't you ever answer to that again - I named you Matthew on purpose.' So if anyone calls me 'Matt' I know they either don't know me well or they're jacking with me."
The 'Sing' star has three children, Levi, eight, Vida, six, and Livingston, three, with his wife Camila Alves.
And it seems that McConaughey has picked a wife who shares his mother's penchant for strictness as Alves has previously admitted she is a "strict but fun" parent.
She said: "I am a strict parent that also has fun. A combination of both. I think it's very important to teach kids manners, respect others. I can get very, very silly and I think that if you set the basis, then you can go and be free and have fun and go crazy, but they're always going to remember that base core value that you taught them."
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