Matthew McConaughey hints at plans to join WWE

Matthew McConaughey will not be the first celebrity to step into the WWE ring. PHOTO: REUTERS

For actor Matthew McConaughey, acting comes naturally. So perhaps the make-belief world of professional wrestling could be the next step for the Oscar winner.

The 51-year-old hinted at plans to join the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on a podcast Better Together with entertainment news personality Maria Menounos on Thursday (Jan 14).

"I'll say not too much 'cause as you know, can't say too much about these things. But it is something that interests me," he said.

The avid wrestling fan was in the virtual audience of the WWE Thunderdome for the contest between Drew McIntyre and The Miz last October.

WWE had said at the time: "McConaughey was recently spotted in the WWE ThunderDome cheering on a Drew McIntyre victory. Could his next encounter with the WWE Universe come inside the squared circle?"

Professional wrestling promotion is different from wrestling as a sport, as WWE shows are not genuine contests but scripted entertainment.

The seemingly deadly moves are choreographed in a form of performance theatre between good and bad guys, although there is still a risk of injury or death if something goes wrong.

McConaughey has also shared his love of WWE with his three children, who are seven, 10 and 12 years old.

He added: "I love the suspensions of disbelief because my kids and I watch and they're starting to get that when they go, 'Oh this is fake', I'm going, 'What are you talking about? No way'."

The Hollywood star will not be the first celebrity to step into the WWE ring.

Notably, United States President Donald Trump, long before he stepped into the Oval Office, once had a showdown with WWE head honcho Vince McMahon in 2007.

Remote video URL

Last November, McConaughey, who won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club (2013), had teased that he might throw his cowboy hat into another ring - politics.

He had dropped hints that he might run for governor of Texas, but later cleared the air on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

On his political aspirations, he clarified: "I have no plans to do that right now, as I said, that would be up to a lot of other people."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.