“I’d tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I’d read about it in the news or see it in the local paper,” McConaughey said.

 

Matthew McConaughey and his mother Kay.Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty

The call was coming from inside Matthew McConaughey’s house.

 

The actor revealed in a new interview that he had to take almost a decade-long “hiatus” from his own mother, Mary Kathleen “Kay” McConaughey, because she was leaking stories about him to the press.

 

“We had about an eight-year period where I had to have short conversations with her on our Sunday phone calls because she was sharing a lot of that information,” Matthew told PEOPLE.

 

“I’d tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I’d read about it in the news or see it in the local paper. She couldn’t help herself.”

 

His mother Kay, 93, confirmed that they “were on a hiatus” because of that.

 

“About eight years after that, I got stable enough with my own position and fame that I was like, ‘You know what?

 

My mom can say whatever the hell she wants,’” Matthew added. “It’s much more fun now… I’d say we’re closer now.”

 

The mother-son pair are so close that they’re now starring together, along with Matthew’s son, Levi, in survival thriller The Lost Bus, about the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.

 

The film, hitting Apple TV+ next week, marks Kay’s return to acting after 2011’s Bernie (also starring her son) and is 17-year-old Levi’s debut, as they play Matthew’s onscreen family members.

 

“I had to badger him,” Levi said of asking his dad to join the movie.

 

The Oscar winner previously shared that Levi did not use his famous last name while auditioning for the role.

 

 

Matthew McConaughey and his mother Kay.Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

 

Matthew told PEOPLE he was “open” to Levi’s interest in following in his footsteps to become an actor, which is not how he’s always felt.

 

“The first 15 years in Hollywood I was like, ‘I’d never want my kid to grow up in the business,’” Matthew said.

 

“And when I hit about 40, right about the time we had Levi, I looked around at how many special people I’ve met in my life, how much travel and what an awesome, healthy, cool experience that’s been for me in my life.

 

I was like, ‘Where are you coming up with this idea you don’t want any of your kids to do it?’ It’d be a privilege if they would be able to.”

 

The Lost Bus, directed by Paul Greengrass and also starring America Ferrera, begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3.