September 3, 2012 | Celeb Watch

The skinny on Matthew McConaughey's weight loss

Matthew McConaughey has always been known for his lean, athletic frame. In fact, in his most recent movie, Magic Mike, he was kind enough to show most of it off for us.

But now McConaughey is turning heads for a different reason. He's looking sickly and thin because he's preparing for an upcoming role as a man with AIDS. He's trying to lose 30lbs for the part. 

The movie is The Dallas Buyer’s Club, based on the real life story of a Dallas man named Ron Woodruff, who contracted HIV through drug use in the ‘80s.

"I'm playing a guy who was sick and would have loved to have been healthier but wasn't," he explained. "For me, it's more of a mental thing than a physical thing. I'll get down to the weight I need to get to. I'm on my way, and it's what I need to do for the job."

The movie will be released in 2013.