Matthew McConaughey made an appearance on Good Morning America to promote the newest film he’s in, The Dark Tower. Straying slightly from the initial topic of the interview, the 47-year-old McConaughey shared the biblical meaning and significance behind his eldest child’s name.
“My favorite verse of the Bible is Matthew 6:22: If thine eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light,” the actor shared in the interview.
When his eldest son was born, McConaughey and his wife, Camila Alves, had six different names in mind. But, McConaughey said he didn’t want his son to be “Matthew Jr.”
Things took a providential direction when the doctor handed McConaughey a card and the couple was instructed to write the newborn’s name down. The time of birth read 6:22 pm. The couple took the time as a sign to name their son Levi, which McConaughey explains is another name for Matthew.
The actor is clearly proud of Levi, his nine-year-old, and his two other children: Vida and Livingston. In a 2014 interview with GQ, he admitted fatherhood has changed him, making him “more compassionate” and motivating him to go back to church.
McConaughey said church was a formative part of his childhood that he misses. “It’s a time for me to take inventory of my last week, to look at what’s in the future and say my thank-you’s and think about what I can work on to do better.”
While the actor does apparently read the Bible, the jury’s still out as to whether he’s made a commitment to Christianity. When asked if he believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, McConaughey said, “Well, it’s a heaven of a story, ain’t it?”
