How are Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey related?

Matthew McConaughey revealed that he and Woody Harrelson might be half-brothers.

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are A-listed Hollywood stars known for performing in various projects. While the two are doing great in their respective careers, many might be unaware that McConaughey and Harrelson have shared a great friendship for years. Not just them, but the actors’ family members are also well-bonded to each other.

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey have also worked together on various projects such as Welcome to Hollywood, EDtv, and Surfer, Dude. The last time the actors were seen working together was in HBO’s anthology crime drama, True Detective. The 8-episode series was released on January 12, 2014.

Are Woody Harrelson and Mattew McConaughey half-brothers?

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson have been good friends for years now. However, in 2023, the Dazed and Confused star left many shocked after claiming that he and Woody Harrelson might be brothers. As per Variety, during Matthew McConaughey’s appearance on Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa’s podcast, the actor made some jaw-dropping revelations about his and Harrelson’s relationship.

While speaking about his close bond with Harrelson, McConaughey said, "Where I start and where [Woody] ends, and where he starts and I end, has always been like a murky line.” McConaughey further said, “And that's part of our bromance, right? My kids call him Uncle Woody. His kids call me Uncle Matthew. And you see pictures of us and my family thinks a lot of pictures of him are me. His family thinks a lot of pictures of me are him."

As the conversation continued, Matthew McConaughey added that during a family gathering, his mother left everyone shocked by revealing she knew Woody's dad.

McConaughey said, "In Greece a few years ago, we're sitting around talking about how close we are and our families.” The Interstellar fame further added, "And my mom is there, and she says, ‘Woody, I knew your dad.' Everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew.' It was a loaded K-N-E-W."

Did Woody Harrelson and Mattew McConaughey do a DNA test?

During the same conversation on Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa’s podcast, Matthew McConaughey continued his story by revealing that he and Woody Harrelson tried to understand what his mother meant when she said she “knew” Woody’s dad. McConaughey explained, "We went on to unpack what this ‘knew' meant and did some math and found out that [Woody's] dad was on furlough at the same time that my mom and dad were in their second divorce.” Matthew added, "Then there's possible receipts and places out in West Texas where there might have been a gathering, or a meeting, or a ‘knew' moment."

When asked if he and Woody Harrelson took a DNA test to confirm, McConaughey said, "Look, it's a little easier for Woody to say, ‘Come on, let's do [DNA tests],' because what's the skin in it for him?" Matthew concluded by saying, "It's a little harder for me because he's asking me to take a chance to go, ‘Wait a minute, you're trying to tell me my dad may not be my dad after 53 years of believing that?' I got a little more skin in the game."