Matthew McConaughey Says He Had to 'Un-Brand' Himself From Just Starring in Rom-Coms

Matthew McConaughey is all smiles on the red carpet as he arrives at the HISTORYTalks & Leadership Event on Saturday (February 29) at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The 50-year-old Oscar winner looked handsome in a gray plaid suit as he attended the event.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Matthew McConaughey

During the event, Matt opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about changing the direction of his career and said he had to “un-brand” himself from just starring in romantic comedies.

“I took off, and had an un-branding phase. Not a re-branding phrase, an un-branding phase,” Matt recalled after the birth of his son Levi in 2008. “I said, ‘I’m out.’”

“That anonymity, that being away, that not being the shirtless guy on the beach in a rom-com, by un-branding, then all of a sudden things came to me that I had been wanting to do,” Matt added. “Dramatic roles that I had been pursuing were coming my way.”

Other stars in attendance included Trevor Noah, journalist Ronan Farrow, activist Gloria Steinem, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, and tennis icon Billie Jean King.

If you missed it, Matt is trying to set up his mom with this actor’s dad!

15+ pictures inside of Matthew McConughey and the other stars at the event…