Matthew McConaughey Offered Lead in Chris Nolan's INTERSTELLAR

Deadline reports that Matthew McConaughey has been offered the lead role in Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar. Details are thin on the ground but McConaughey, if he takes the part, would play Cooper in what sounds like another head trip from Nolan dealing with wormholes and time travel.

After a strong start with an iconic part in Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused and the lead role in popular courtroom drama A Time to Kill, McConaughey developed a reputation as a pot-smoking nude bongo player content to wile away his 30s, coasting on his good looks and easy charm in a string of romantic comedies. However, the last two years have seen him reinvent himself.

In 2011 he returned to the courtroom as a lawyer in The Lincoln Lawyer before taking on a supporting part in Linklater's Bernie. He also starred in William Friedkin's Killer Joe, in which he stretched himself and was unafraid of getting his hands dirty. More big roles followed in 2012 with Steven Soderbergh's enormously popular male stripper film Magic Mike and highly-regarded indie Mud from Jeff Nichols, due for release on April 26 in the US. He also recently wrapped The Wolf of Wall Street, the new Martin Scorsese film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

Through his hard work, and by picking some worthy projects, it looks like McConaughey may crack the big league again in what could be an enormous role for him. Originally set up with Steven Spielberg, Interstellar is being written by Chris Nolan and his brother Jonathan (who was originally on the project) and is eyeing a November 2014 release.