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.