The Matthew McConaughey reaction meme primarily stems from a poignant scene in the 2014 sci-fi epic Interstellar, where his character, Cooper, watches years of missed video messages from his children while stranded in deep space. His raw, sobbing performance became an instant hit for internet users looking to express overwhelming sadness, nostalgia, or regret. While the Interstellar scene is the most famous, other reaction variations include his iconic 'alright, alright, alright' persona and his 'rookie numbers' speech from The Wolf of Wall Street. Today, these reactions are staples of social media, used to represent anything from watching a childhood movie to seeing the total on a high-priced grocery bill.