Camila Alves sets record straight on husband Matthew McConaughey: 'The guy doesn't even smoke'

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

All right, all right, all ... wrong?

Camila Alves says her husband Matthew McConaughey isn't the lazy stoner you think he is – in case you were stuck on that dated impression.

"When we first (started) dating, it was this image of Matthew of getting high, laid back, no shirt, whatever, which ... the guy doesn't even smoke," the Brazilian model said of her Oscar-winning actor spouse of more than a decade on a recent edition of Southern Living's podcast "Biscuits & Jam." "What is this vision coming from? He's actually the opposite, and he's like his mom. She's very organized, very minimalistic, very on-time, very prepared. And he gets a lot of those traits from her."

Alves talked about how her mother-in-law, Mary Kathlene McCabe, tested her when she first entered McConaughey's life (McCabe is known for her candidness). She called Alves McConaughey's exes' names and "she would start speaking Spanish with me in a very broken way." The pair ultimately found common ground when Alves realized McCabe just wanted her to fight back a bit. Now, "I have so much respect for. She has so much respect for me. But it can get tricky sometimes, but we always end with a good laugh and a joke."

As for McConaughey's work ethic, that's been known for some time beyond acting.

The couple started a foundation called "just keep livin" to empower high school students. Alves also heads an online community, "Women of Today," which is home to recipes and ideas for making life easier and fun (she grew up in Brazil and traveled around the world as a model, but settled down with her husband in Texas apart from when work takes them elsewhere).

Camila Alves says her husband Matthew McConaughey isn't the lazy stoner you think he is – in case you were stuck on that dated impression.
Camila Alves says her husband Matthew McConaughey isn't the lazy stoner you think he is – in case you were stuck on that dated impression.

McConaughey has been an outspoken advocate against gun violence, speaking at the White House last year following the mass shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas.

"Camila and I came here to share my stories from my hometown of Uvalde," he said at the time. "I came here to take meetings with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. We came here to speak to them, to speak with them, and to urge them to speak with each other – to remind and inspire them that the American people will continue to drive forward the mission of keeping our children safe, because it's more than our right to do so, it's our responsibility to do so."

'Real change can happen': Read Matthew McConaughey's full White House speech on gun violence

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves says he 'doesn't even smoke'