5 Shocking Revelations About Matthew McConaughey's Dad, James Donald McConaughey, Including His Unbelievable Death Story

Few celebrity parents are as legendary and enigmatic as James Donald McConaughey, the father of Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Born on November 7, 1929, James D. McConaughey was a larger-than-life figure whose presence shaped Matthew's entire worldview, a fact the actor has detailed extensively in his bestselling 2020 memoir, Greenlights. As of December 13, 2025, the stories Matthew shares about his late father continue to captivate, offering a rare look into a tumultuous yet deeply loving Texas family dynamic.

The most shocking and widely discussed element of James Donald McConaughey's life remains the incredible circumstances of his death in 1992, a story Matthew recounts with signature candor. Beyond this sensational detail, James was a man of immense character—a former professional football player, a successful businessman, and the other half of a famously volatile, yet passionate, relationship with Matthew’s mother, Kay McConaughey.

The Complete Biography of James Donald McConaughey

James Donald McConaughey, often called "Jim" or "Big Jim," was the patriarch of the McConaughey family, known for his booming voice, athletic build, and unyielding spirit. His life was a quintessential American story of grit and ambition, deeply rooted in the state of Texas.

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• Full Name: James Donald McConaughey
• Born: November 7, 1929, in Jackson, Hinds, Mississippi, United States.
• Parents: Hugh Donald McConaughey and Barbara Maitland.
• Spouse: Mary Kathleen "Kay" McCabe (also known as Kay McConaughey). Their relationship was famously on-again, off-again, marrying and divorcing three times to each other.
• Children: Michael "Rooster" McConaughey, Patrick McConaughey, and Matthew David McConaughey.
• Education: Attended the University of Houston.
• Profession: Businessman, notably in the oil pipe supply industry. He was also a former professional football player.
• NFL Career: Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1953. He played for the Houston Cougars in college.
• Died: August 17, 1992, in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States.
• Cause of Death: Myocardial infarction (heart attack) during sexual intercourse with his wife, Kay.

The Unbelievable Circumstances of James Donald McConaughey's Death

The story of James Donald McConaughey's passing is perhaps the most defining anecdote Matthew McConaughey shares about his father, a tale so extraordinary it has become a central piece of the actor’s personal mythology. The event occurred on August 17, 1992, and Matthew was the one who received the call from his mother, Kay.

"He Called His Shot": The Prophetic Passing

Matthew McConaughey has repeatedly stated that his father predicted how he would die—and the prediction was eerily accurate. James had often told his family, "When I go, I'm gonna be making love to your mother."

In his memoir, Greenlights, Matthew describes receiving the call while he was working in Texas. His mother, Kay, delivered the news with a strange mixture of grief and pride. "Your dad's passed on," she said. When Matthew asked how, she replied, "Well, he died having sex with me."

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James Donald McConaughey suffered a fatal heart attack (myocardial infarction) at the moment of climax. While tragic, Matthew views the death as the ultimate, fitting end for his passionate and virile father—a man who went out exactly the way he had always hoped, "calling his shot" in the most intimate of moments.

Kay McConaughey's Unconventional Reaction

The aftermath of James’s death was just as unconventional as the event itself, largely due to Matthew’s mother, Kay. As Matthew recounts, the paramedics arrived and, following procedure, began to cover James's body with a sheet. Kay, however, intervened immediately.

She stopped them, insisting that her husband should not be covered. "No, no, no, no, no," she told them. "He's not going to be covered up. He's not going to be ashamed of how he died." Kay wanted her husband to be seen exactly as he was when he passed: a man of passion, vigor, and no regrets. This detail further cemented the legend of James Donald McConaughey and the fierce, enduring love between him and Kay.

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The Volatile and Loving Relationship with Kay McCabe

The dynamic between James Donald McConaughey and Kay McConaughey (née McCabe) was the emotional cornerstone of Matthew's childhood. Their relationship was legendary for its intensity, marked by passionate love, fierce arguments, and dramatic reconciliations. They married and divorced each other a total of three times, a testament to their inability to live with or without one another.

Matthew has often spoken about the physical and verbal fights that were common in their household in Uvalde, Texas. The fights were never malicious but rather a passionate release of tension between two powerful personalities. They were "knock-down, drag-out fights," but always ended with them making up, often with James buying Kay flowers the next morning.

This volatile environment instilled in Matthew a unique perspective on conflict and passion. He learned that intense disagreement did not necessarily mean the end of love, but could sometimes be a strange expression of it. This deeply ingrained understanding of complex relationships has undoubtedly influenced the characters he has chosen to portray throughout his career.

The "Right of Passage": Fighting His Father

One of the most profound and formative aspects of Matthew’s relationship with his father was a strange, non-negotiable family tradition: a physical fight between father and son. Matthew describes this in Greenlights as a necessary "right of passage" for a McConaughey man.

When Matthew was 18, his father challenged him to a final, serious fight. Matthew realized this was not a playful scuffle but a test of manhood. He knew he had to win to earn his father’s respect and officially step into his own identity as a man. Matthew ultimately won the fight, a moment that was deeply emotional and pivotal for both of them.

The physical confrontation served as James’s way of passing the torch and acknowledging his son’s transition into adulthood. By defeating his "boisterous, loud, and energetic" father, Matthew earned the respect that allowed him to forge his own path, armed with the lessons of his father's powerful, yet flawed, character.

The Lasting Legacy: A Greenlight for Life

Although James Donald McConaughey passed away over three decades ago, his influence remains the single most important "Greenlight" in Matthew McConaughey's life. Matthew’s memoir is structured around the concept of "Greenlights"—signals from the universe that affirm one is on the right path—and his father's life, and death, provide many of the most crucial lessons.

James taught his sons to be independent, to stand up for themselves, and to live life with gusto and without apology. He was a man who embodied the spirit of Texas: tough, passionate, and authentic. The stories Matthew tells about his father are not just anecdotes; they are parables about living a full, unvarnished life. The incredible nature of James's death—dying at the peak of passion—is seen by Matthew not as a tragedy, but as the ultimate, heroic curtain call for a man who truly lived life to the max.

This lasting legacy continues to resonate with fans of the actor and readers of Greenlights, proving that James Donald McConaughey, the former NFL player and oil pipe supply businessman from Uvalde, Texas, remains a fascinating and deeply influential figure long after his dramatic departure.