Matthew McConaughey's Wife Camila Alves Did Not Know Who He Was the First Time They Met

From Good Housekeeping

Matthew McConaughey has taken many risks throughout his career, which has led to his roles in classic films like Dazed and Confused, A Time to Kill, and, of course, Dallas Buyers Club. But perhaps one of his biggest risks of all was trying to win the affection of his wife, Camila Alves, the very first night they met.

According to what Matthew told People, he wasn’t looking for love the night he went out with his friend Lance Armstrong in the spring of 2006. While making margaritas at a club in Hollywood though, he spotted Camila from across the room and immediately asked, “Who is that? What is that?”

After failing to wave her over, he gave himself a pep talk before approaching her. He invited Camila and her friend to his table to enjoy the drinks he’d made. But the true test may have been when she began speaking Portuguese. Thankfully, Matthew rose to the occasion and held a conversation he’s still proud of today.

Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images

“The first interaction, I did not know who he was,” the Muxo handbag designer reportedly told Access Hollywood. “At the time, he had a really long beard and he had this Rasta hat. He was all covered up, and I didn’t really realize who he was.”

Years later, Matthew revealed that Camila came into his life at the right time. “It’s gotta be the right person but it has to be the right time,” he told People in 2017. “We went out on our first date three nights later and I knew then that the next night I wanted to go on another date … And I've been wanting to go on a date with her for the last nine years. And not with anybody else."

On July 7, 2008, Camila gave birth to their first child, a son named Levi. Less than two years later, on January 3, 2010, the family welcomed their daughter, Vida. Matthew joked that it was around this time that his then-girlfriend was ready for something more. “Well, we had children first. Two of our children before we got married, before she handed me the invitation to our wedding,” he said to People.

Photo credit: Alo Ceballos - Getty Images
Photo credit: Alo Ceballos - Getty Images

On Christmas Eve 2011, Matthew proposed to Camila. The following summer, on June 9, 2012, the two officially tied the knot at their home in Austin, Texas. Family and friends came together to celebrate the duo, who reportedly whispered their vows to each other. Of course, their children also got to participate in the ceremony — Levi was the ring bearer and Vida was the flower girl.

A few months later, on December 28, 2012, their son Livingston was born. Since then, Matthew and Camila have learned plenty about what it means to be parents.

Photo credit: Todd Williamson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Todd Williamson - Getty Images

“The main thing is that my wife and I, Camila, we have a similar moral bottom line. And as you learn, if you have kids, every day they get older, you realize how much more it’s really DNA,” he said on the Today show. “We can nudge 'em and shepherd 'em, et cetera et cetera, but they are who they are. And right now, I’m just happy to say we have three healthy ones and they’re very much individuals.”

And as for whether or not the couple plans on growing their family again, Matthew and Camila have different ideas. “I’d like to have eight more kids,” the father of three said on a HISTORYTalks: Leadership and Legacy panel in March 2020. “My wife’s not on the same page. I understand that.”

But who knows what the future holds ...

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