SHH: As a huge fan of “Contact,” I was thrilled to learn you were going to lead “Intersteller.” Did your experience with Carl Sagan act as a primer for the crazy astrophysics theories of Kip Thorne? (Interstellar’s origins came from Kip Thorne’s theories on wormholes and time travel.)
Matthew McConaughey: “I don’t know because I really haven’t dug down and got into it, but the one one-liner I got out of the ‘Contact’ experience –and three hours I got to spend with Carl Sagan- was ‘God’s backyard is a lot bigger than I thought.’ I always used to say, ‘I’d rather be a sailor than an astronaut,’ because if you go over the same land that man has gone over before it’s still the first time because its through your eyes the first time. This is… you’re talking about astronaut stuff, you’re talking about galaxies, you’re talking about new frontiers completely. First time by ANY man stuff.
“That is much more of an aspect I can realize and get my head around, but it doesn’t seem that far. It’s that same thing when you’re a kid, your neighborhood is as far as you can go. Then you grow older it’s your county, your city, your state, your nation and then all of a sudden continents become part of your backyard. Then as you get older you go, ‘Well the moon’s just a chip shot away too.’ Then you wonder what’s in our solar system, it’s just one solar system. How many solar systems make up the universe. How many universes are there. Its an idea I can’t scientifically lay out to you, but it started off when Galileo said, ‘The world’s not flat.’ Then the other man went, ‘Yes it is!’
“It’s very interesting, I’ve met people in the last year that walk this Earth that argued with me that the world is still flat. I’ve met some people when I was in Africa and I had a wonderful discussion with them. In 2010 to be in an African desert having a conversation with some men laughing at you saying if you walk that way a long, long, long, long time you’ll come up over here, they thought that was the funniest joke in the world. They were like, ‘If you walk that way a long time you go boom, bye bye, fall off.'”
Directed and written by Nolan,
Interstellar is based on a script by Jonathan Nolan. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan of Syncopy Films and Obst of Lynda Obst Productions. Kip Thorne will executive produce. McConaughey will lead the cast along with Anne Hathaway. The movie hits theaters and IMAX on November 7, 2014.
(Photo Credit: WENN.com)
