Matthew McConaughey is a massive movie star, one who has transcended his profession to become a larger-than-life American public figure. But he returns to his roots this week in Andrew Patterson’s rollicking Southern crime drama “The Rivals of Amziah King,” playing an Oklahoma beekeeper and bluegrass musician. It’s a wonderful, surprising film that defies expectation, though McConaughey’s performance is one of his familiar, fully embodied turns as a truly unique character of the American Southwest.

So in honor of McConaughey as Amziah King, here’s a tour through the many different phases of his career, from the beginnings, to the McConaissance, and beyond, and where to stream the highlights.

McConaughey’s breakthrough role was in Richard Linklater’s 1970s high school hangout flick “Dazed and Confused” in 1993, which instantly resulted in an enduring catchphrase: “alright, alright, alright,” delivered with McConaughey’s signature Texas twang. He’s a supporting character within a larger ensemble, but his performance is one of the most memorable in the film. Rent it on digital platforms.

Just three years later, McConaughey outgrew the high school stoner persona with Joel Schumacher’s Southern legal drama “A Time to Kill” in 1996, and then in the next year, opposite Jodie Foster in the extraterrestrial drama “Contact,” directed by Robert Zemeckis. Rent both “A Time to Kill” and “Contact” on digital platforms.

The early 2000s was McConaughey’s rom-com era, but if there’s only one to watch from this period, it has to be “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003) which showcases his sparkling chemistry with co-star Kate Hudson. Stream it on Paramount+, Kanopy, and Prime Video.

A decade later, the McConnaissance was brewing. I’d pinpoint the start of it with Steven Soderbergh’s exotic male dancer romp “Magic Mike” starring Channing Tatum. McConaughey played support as the club’s emcee Dallas, but proved he was willing to do wild character work in films with daring auteurs. Rent “Magic Mike” on all digital platforms.

In 2013, McConaughey starred as a mysterious drifter in Jeff Nichols’ “Mud,” and in Jean-Marc Vallée’s “Dallas Buyers Club,” a performance that earned him an Academy Award for best actor. Stream both films on Peacock.

2014 brought two of McConaughey’s highest-profile projects, starring in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” and the crime miniseries “True Detective” with Woody Harrelson, helmed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Stream “Interstellar” on Prime Video, Hulu, Paramount+, and “True Detective” on HBO Max.

In the past decade, McConaughey has had the ability to alternate more serious projects with bolder character work. He starred in Stephen Gaghan’s underrated “Gold” in 2016 (Netflix), and leaned into the burnout persona with Harmony Korine’s ode to South Florida, “The Beach Bum,” in 2019 (streaming on Kanopy and Tubi). Last year, he starred in Paul Greengrass’ “The Lost Bus” about the deadly Paradise fire, which is streaming on Apple TV.

So whatever flavor of McConaughey you want, there’s something for everyone from his varied and fascinating career.

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