Matthew McConaughey’s swagger helped land him the role of AIDS victim Ron Woodroof in the upcoming drama ‘The Dallas Buyer’s Club,’ Celebuzz is reporting. Woodroof’s sister, Sharon Woodroof Braden, said she thinks the actor “will be great. He’s got that same swagger that Ron had. I’m excited because Matthew is from Texas. I really think he has that personality where he can do what needs to be done.”
McConaughey is playing the role of Woodruff, a Texas electrician who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. He was given just six months life. Refusing to accept his death sentence, he turned to alternative medications. He created a lucrative drug-smuggling business that provided drugs to AIDS patients, and ended up living for six more years.
While Woodroof’s family approves of McConaughey’s casting, they revealed they’re afraid to see photos of the actor on set, as well as the finished movie. The actor lost 30 pounds, and bares a striking resemble to Woodroof.
But Woodroof’s daughter, Yvette Carroll, said she has seen an image of McConaughey in character, and it brings back upsetting memories of her father in the hospital. “It was awful to see him like that. I couldn’t handle it, even at 21 years old,” she said.
The Woodroofs haven’t been involved in the making of ‘The Dallas Buyer’s Club,’ besides meeting the movie’s former director, Craig Gillespite, in 2005. But Sharon hopes the film, which is now being helmed by Jean-Marc Vallee, portrays her brother as brilliantly as she remembers him.
Sharon added that when Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling were linked to the lead role, she knew they weren’t right. “When they said Matthew McConaughey, I said, ‘That’s it! They got it.’ Of all the people, he’s the one,” she said.
Written by: Karen Benardello
