With Dallas Buyers Club opening this weekend, it was announced that Matthew McConaughey would be honored at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
According to Variety, the fest will present the actor with the Desert Palm Acting Achievement Award.
PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement, "In the acclaimed new movie 'Dallas Buyers Club,' McConaughey plays real-life cowboy Ron Woodroof, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and given a month to live - but fought for dignity, acceptance, and living life to the fullest."
The Lincoln Lawyer actor lost nearly 50 pounds for the role, alongside Jared Leto, who also lost a similar amount.
Other actors honored before include Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeff Bridges, Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.
DBC director Jean-Marc Vallee admitted that he wasn't sure of McConaughey for the part when he was first looking for the movie to be made, The Hollywood Reporter notes.
"I wasn't sure about Matthew at first," he said. "Mr. The Most Handsome Man With Muscles? Then I met him and found a man who really wanted to change perceptions and have new challenges in his career."
Both Leto and McConaughey scared people with how much weight they had lost. Co-star Jennifer Garner commented, "Matthew had been dieting for weeks, but Jared got there and almost quit eating."
She added, "Jared said he woke up at midnight and his heart was pounding so hard because he hadn't eaten that he didn't know what was gonna happen."
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