Despite the closure of longtime Austin staples and an influx of tech bros and influencers from the West Coast, Texas movie star Matthew McConaughey maintains the state capital is still weird. McConaughey's comments came during the Texas Book Festival in Austin, where the Oscar-winning actor was promoting his 2020 book of essays Greenlights. During a Q&A session, Texas Monthly podcaster J.B. Sauceda asked McConaughey and Dazed and Confused director Richard Linklater if they believed Austin — which has changed dramatically after decades of brisk growth – was still “special.”