Matthew McConaughey reluctant to do DNA test as brother rumors with Woody Harrelson circulate

Matthew McConaughey wants us all to keep guessing, as he 'refuses' to take a DNA test to see whether Woody Harrelson really is his brother.

If so, there would be a lot of talent in one family. But how did the rumors start?

Well, for those who don't know, McConaughey's mother, Kay, told Harrelson that she knew his father Charles Harrelson. However, it was the timing that was important here, as she said it was 'around the time McConaughey was conceived'.

If anything, the tale has made for a great story, as the 'brothers' are getting set to launch their new Apple comedy series, Brothers, in which they play fictionalized versions of themselves.

However, this story may stay fiction, as McConaughey would rather not take the test.

In a conversation with Rolling Stone, the pair, who have been close friends for three decades, were asked whether they'd share the results if they ever took the test. But it looks like there won't be any results to share.

The duo are starring in their Apple TV series, Brothers (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV via Getty Images)

"He won’t take the test," Harrelson told the outlet.

Explaining his reasoning, the Dallas Buyers Club star added: "If we do the test and, say it’s true (which it's not) then I’ve got to unpack 56 years of who I thought my dad was."

Despite this, the Hollywood star said the 'worst-case scenario' would be if it wasn't true, claiming his friends would be 'horrible to be around'.

Backing up his claims, the Doc Hollywood star admitted he would be 'depressed for a while,' if it wasn't true, also calling it a 'lose-lose situation'.

Either way, the best friends still think of themselves as brothers, with Harrelson saying McConaughey was 'more like his brothers in reality'.

Harrelson seems to have been pushing for the DNA test for a while. In March 2025, in an interview with Radio X, host Johnny Vaughan asked: "Woody, I know you're doing this thing Brothers with Matthew McConaughey. Did you investigate whether the two of you might actually be brothers or related?"

It doesn't look like McConaughey and Harrelson will be taking a DNA test anytime soon (Photo by Rich Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

The Hunger Games star confirmed that the pair hadn't yet done the test, although told the host they were 'probably going to do that'.

"I think there's a real possibility," he added.

Well, it's been a year and a half since the interview, and it doesn't look like any progress has been made, but who knows what could happen in the future...

How did Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson become friends?

The pair met in 1997, on the set of the comedy film EDtv, where they were ironically, cast as brothers.

They immediately clicked, and worked together on a number of projects after, including HBO's True Detective, Surfer, and Dude.

From here, they came incredibly close, and so did their families. Despite not knowing whether they are biologically related or not, their children call them 'Uncle Woody' and 'Uncle Matthew'.

We'll check back again when Season 2 is released!