Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Matthew McConaughey's real son, Levi, plays his on-screen son inThe Lost Bus. The Oscar-winning actor revealed he snuck Levi into the audition by hiding his famous last name. He said director Paul Greengrass cast Levi without knowing he was the actor's son. Having a famous parent can get you places in Hollywood — but so can pure talent, asMatthew McConaugheyrevealed that he snuck his son, Levi Alves McConaughey, into an audition to play his on-screen kid by hiding his famous last name. After Friday night's world-premiere screening of their new movie,The Lost Bus,at the 2025Toronto International Film Festival, McConaughey spoke to the audience about how his 17-year-old son came to star with him in the film. "Levi, come on out here, bud," he said, embracing his son, who walked onstage to uproarious applause from the audience at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty McConaughey also spoke about Greengrass casting his real mother, Kay McConaughey, for a role in the film before recounting how Levi became involved. "She's always been performing, but I had no idea this young man was interested. As I pitched the script to the family, as I always do before work, there was a part about Kevin having a son. [Levi] asked me, 'How old is he?' I said, 'He's about your age.' He goes, 'Think I could read for it?'" the 55-year-old recalled. "And I didn't say anything. It wasn't enough for me to say maybe. He came back four more times. I said,Okay, now he's working for it. I said yeah. I pulled out the camera, worked with him on a scene, and sent that to [casting director] Francine Maisler." TheDallas Buyers Clubactor indicated that Maisler told him, "I think it might be good enough for a callback," and, later, that it "might be good enough to show to Paul." McConaughey said he asked Maisler to do him one favor during the process. "Will you pull the last name off so there's no McConaughey at the end of that?" he asked her. "Next call I got, [Paul] goes, 'That's the guy, that's the son!' [Francine] goes, 'That happens to be Matthew's son! And Paul goes, 'Even better!'" McConaughey and his son, whom he shares with wife Camila Alves, were joined on stage at theLost Buspremiere by many involved in the film's production, including supporting actressAmerica Ferreraand producersJason BlumandJamie Lee Curtis. Curtis told the audience that she first heard of the story in a newspaper article, and later went to Blum to secure the rights to a book based on the tragedy, written by Lizzie Johnson. The film follows the real-life story of a bus driver, Kevin McKay, and teacher Mary Ludwig, who helped drive to safety a bus full of kids amid California's 2018 Camp Fire. Apple TV/Youtube Theactress said that, in meeting the real-life Kevin and Mary for the first time, she discovered that the latter had a shocking connection to her mother, Hollywood iconJanet Leigh, who died in 2004. "She said, 'My father dated your mother.' [I asked], 'For real?' I said, 'Where?' She said, 'Merced, Calif.," Curtis told the crowd. "Now, you guys know my mother as Janet Leigh, but before she was Janet Leigh, she was Jeanette Helen Morrison from Merced, Calif., and Mary Ludwig's father dated Jeanette." After the audience gasped at the reveal, Curtis stressed that she felt the connection was destiny. Want more movie news? Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free newsletterto get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. "This moment with Kevin and Mary was born from something much bigger," she said, celebrating "the fact that we're all here together with you at the world premiere of a movie about their story told by a master produced by a master, is just a thrilling, weird, connect-the-dots [moment]." The Lost Busenters limited theatrical release onSept. 19, before streaming Oct. 3 on Apple TV+. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
