New poll shows Texans favour actor Matthew McConaughey for governor

He has reportedly been considering a run, but has yet to announce his candidacy

American actor Matthew McConaughey arrives for the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Beach Bum'. AFP

About 45 per cent of Texans said they would vote for actor Matthew McConaughey for governor if he were to run against the incumbent Greg Abbott, a new poll showed on Monday.

McConaughey, a Texas native, has been flirting with the idea of running for governor next year, but has yet to announce his candidacy.

The poll, conducted by the University of Texas and The Dallas Morning News, surveyed more than 1,000 registered voters.

While almost half of those surveyed showed a preference for the actor, 33 per cent said they would support the incumbent while 22 per cent said that they would wait to see who else might run.

If he decides to run, McConaughey would join the ranks of other actors-turned-politicians, including former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Clint Eastwood, New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, and former president Ronald Reagan.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson also said recently he would launch a presidential bid with enough support.

McConaughey first began acting in 1991 and gained notoriety for his performance in the comedy Dazed and Confused.  Since then, he has gone on to act in a wide range of films, including Failure to Launch, U-571, The Lincoln Lawyer and Dallas Buyers Club, for which he won an Academy Award.

1. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson earned $87.5 million between June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020, largely thanks to his role in upcoming Netflix film 'Red Notice'. Photo by Matthias Nareyek / Getty Images for Sony Pictures

2. Ryan Reynolds earned $71.5 million thanks to roles including Netflix's '6 Underground', which was partly filmed in the UAE. Getty

3. Mark Wahlberg earned $58 million thanks to his role in Netflix action comedy 'Spenser Confidential', which became the streaming platform's third-most-watched film. Getty Images

4. Ben Affleck returned to the big screen this year with 'The Way Back', which helped him earn $55 million over the year. Getty Images

5. Vin Diesel earned $54 million thanks to his ongoing role in the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, the latest of which was 'F9'. Getty Images

6. Akshay Kumar is the only Bollywood name to make the list, earning $48.5 million, largely down to product endorsements. Viacom

7. 'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is a newcomer to the list, earning $45.5 million. The filmed version of his Broadway smash hit premiered on Disney+ last month and received three times more views than Netflix's most streamed show. AP Photo

8. Will Smith earned $44.5 million over the year thanks to big cheques from upcoming roles including 'King Richard'. AFP

9. Adam Sandler earned $41 million, thanks in no small part to his role in 'Murder Mystery' which became Netflix's most streamed film of all time. Universal Pictures

10. Rounding off the top 10 is Jackie Chan, who earned $40 million thanks to hundreds of endorsement and licensing deals. Dubai Media Office