Matthew McConaughey is playing a hit man in the upcoming film Killer Joe, but he almost turned down the role. “[The plotline] made me sick. I didn’t like it at all. I felt it was gross. I wanted to get a steel brush and clean myself off,” said McConaughey to British newspaper The Guardian. “But afterwards I called up someone I work with, who had read it simultaneously, and they tapped me into looking at it a different way. Then [director William] Friedkin talked to me about how absurdly funny he thought [writer] Tracy Letts was, so I reread it and it clicked.” The 42-year-old actor explained why he’s been taking a break from his traditional romantic comedy roles and has appeared in movies such as The Lincoln Lawyer, The Paperboy and Magic Mike. “Romcoms are hard in a lot of ways: they’re built to be buoyant. It’s easy to demean them. I did a few romantic comedies. I enjoyed them. They paid well and they were fun,” said McConaughey. “I didn’t know if I wanted to do any more. I decided to sit out, and I had to endure for a while. Another one comes with a big old paycheck; I had to say no. I was looking for something to be turned on by.” ~Graeme Mollison