Matthew McConaughey stars in "Dallas Buyers Club"


The 43-year-old actor insists he didn't take on the role of real-life AIDS victim Ron Woodroof in the drama movie to be recognized at the Academy Awards but to tell an important story and broaden his career.

Quizzed on rumors of a possible Best Actor nomination for his performance, he said: "There's nothing out there that I am chasing. I want my work to translate. Last year was an incredibly creative year of work for me. It was also the first year I lost money. How about that? Make sure you [write] that I'm saying that with a grin. I'm looking for great experiences."

The Hollywood hunk - who is married to Brazilian model Camila Alves - had to lose a significant amount of weight to play Woodroof and he did so with a combination of a controlled diet and self-control.

Speaking at the Toronto International Film festival, he told USAToday.com: "I lost 47 pounds. On the face of it, that's something. It did inform what I was able to do. There's the literal hunger but there's also this headstrong insatiability. The body is more resilient than we give it credit for. I was eating meals. I had controlled meals."

 Here's the trailer: