Pat McConaughey Is Matthew McConaughey's 'Heroic Older Brother'

Pat McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey's brother, was the coolest presence in the actor's life when he was growing up. Matthew would later channel his big brother's energy when he was cast in "Dazed and Confused."

Pat McConaughey is the adopted brother of movie star Matthew McConaughey and TV personality Mike "Rooster" McConaughey. Unlike his brothers, he does not seem to be drawn to the spotlight.

The middle child was a perfect older brother to the future Hollywood actor who idolized him. He worked with their father. Public information on him is sparse.

Pat McConaughey's Relationship with His Brothers

The McConaughey family brought Pat into their home after adopting him on August 2 ― Mike's birthday. Mike confirmed on a podcast in 2020 that the adoption was like a birthday present as he always wanted a little brother.

Their parents, Kay and Jim McConaughey, welcomed Matthew when Mike was 16. With the age gap between the brothers, Pat was nine years younger than Mike; the two younger siblings were closer in their youth. Matthew saw Pat as his "heroic older brother."

Pat taught his younger brother how to dance and ask a girl out on a date. The pair would not tell on each other and keep each other's secrets. Pat had a similar dynamic with his elder brother. Mike never picked on the younger boys and saw them as his "little pals."

Pat would let his little brother drive his Z28 when their parents were out of town. At midnight, he would wake him up, and they would cruise on the highway, listening to Judas Priest, AC/DC, and Ted Nugent into the morning hours.

Matthew did not point him out, as the teen would have gotten in trouble for smoking.

Pat earned the nickname White Lightning as "he was really fast, and he was good with the ladies." He went on to work for his father's oil supply company with Mike.

Pat McConaughey Was the Inspiration for Matthew McConaughey's 'Dazed and Confused' Character

"Wooderson was who I thought my brother Pat was," Matthew recalls. The actor only had a few scenes as the cool guy sleazeball in "Dazed and Confused," but it remains one of his most distinct characters decades later.

He was 10 when he rode along with his mother to pick up Pat from high school one day when his Z28 broke down. As they dove on campus looking for him, Matthew spotted "this iconic silhouette of this guy leanin' against the wall, knee kicked up, in the shade, smokin' a cigarette."

"He was like nine feet tall, the coolest thing in the world, and it was my brother Pat," he remembers. The young Matthew did not point him out, as the teen would have gotten in trouble for smoking, but this image stayed with him.

Pat McConaughey's Other Relatives

Mike owns DGM Supply, an oil pipe machine shop, but he has dabbled in acting. He acted opposite Matthew McConaughey in "The Newton Boys" and was in the single seasons of "West Texas Investors Club" and "Rooster & Butch."

Jim and Kay McConaughey were married to each other thrice and divorced twice. Kay is a retired kindergarten teacher and lives with Matthew and Camila McConaughey.