Matthew McConaughey reveals how Jennifer Lopez got him out of a ‘major mess’ in Mexico

Matthew McConaughey has Jennifer Lopez to thank for getting him out of one particularly uncomfortable situation.

The Oscar-winning actor recently looked back at some of his most memorable movies during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, revealing that his 2001 romantic comedy The Wedding Planner once came in very handy during a late-night encounter in Mexico.

In fact, all McConaughey apparently had to do was mention his famous co-star.

How Jennifer Lopez helped Matthew McConaughey in Mexico:

“Wedding Planner got me out of a major mess-up in Mexico one time,” McConaughey recalled on the podcast.

© Kevin Mazur

The actor explained that he was traveling south late at night when he was pulled over while driving a nice truck.

“I pulled in one late night. I’m crossing the border, going way down south, and I get pulled over,” he said, describing the situation as “one of those pullovers.”

According to McConaughey, the officers quickly took notice of him. “They noticed me, gringo in the truck, nice truck,” he recalled.

© Archive Photos

At that point, the actor began preparing himself for what he thought could become a much bigger ordeal. “I’m like, ‘Oh geez, get the wallet out. Here we go,'” he said.

That’s when McConaughey decided to try a very Hollywood solution. “I brought up, ‘You guys know Jennifer Lopez?'” he recalled asking the officers before mentioning the movie they made together. “Ever see Wedding Planner?”

McConaughey then made sure they realized exactly who was sitting in front of them: “Yeah, yeah, it was me.”

© Jeff Kravitz

The strategy worked. The actor said the encounter quickly changed once the officers recognized him from the romantic comedy. “They were like, ‘Ohhh,'” he recalled.

Instead of the tense interaction McConaughey had been expecting, the group ended up posing for photos together before he was allowed to continue on his way. “And we end up taking pictures together, and they let me go,” he said.

‘The Wedding Planner’ still follows them 25 years later:

Released in 2001, The Wedding Planner starred Lopez as Mary Fiore, a successful San Francisco wedding planner who unexpectedly falls for pediatrician Steve Edison, played by McConaughey, only to discover that he’s the groom in one of the biggest weddings of her career.

© Steve Granitz

The movie opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office and went on to become one of the defining romantic comedies of the early 2000s.

Two decades after its release, Lopez and McConaughey reunited virtually in 2021 to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary and reminisce about their time together on set.

“It still feels like just yesterday,” Lopez said while recalling filming the movie. She also told her former co-star, “I so enjoyed working with you,” describing the experience as “magical.” The pair even expressed interest in eventually working together on another romantic comedy.

© Archive Photos

Lopez also remembered McConaughey’s gentlemanly approach to their big kiss scene. According to the singer and actress, just before filming it, he told her, “Ms. Lopez, I’m going to kiss you now.”

Years later, McConaughey had equally kind things to say about Lopez. Speaking to People in 2024, the actor praised his former co-star’s famous work ethic, calling her a “five-threat” and remembering just how prepared she was while they were making the film. “That woman’s a worker!” he said.

Twenty-five years after Mary and Steve’s unlikely romance first hit theaters, it seems The Wedding Planner still has its perks. For McConaughey, it apparently once meant the difference between a stressful late-night stop and an unexpected photo op.