Matthew McConaughey turned down $15m to play Magnum

Matthew McConaughey hasn't turned his career around by making daft decisions.

And in line with that, it has emerged that he turned down an offer of $15 million to play Thomas Magnum in a planned movie remake of the classic TV show 'Magnum, P.I.', to be made by Universal.

“Taking a year and a half off and saying no to things in some form or fashion made me a new good idea,” he told the Hollywood Reporter.

“Sometimes the target draws the arrow.”

[Standing ovation for McConaughey]

A source close to the actor added: “He was bored. He didn't want to be seen as the shirtless guy anymore.”

And while we all loved Tom Selleck in 'Magnum' (who would play Higgins?), it's hardly begging to be made into a movie, likely joining the ranks of entirely unloved series remakes like 'The A Team'.

Instead, he's worked on his reinvention, shedding the lightweight rom-coms he had become synonymous with and taking roles in films like Soderbergh's 'Magic Mike', William Friedkin's 'Killer Joe' and the excellent 'Mud' directed by Jeff Nichols.

[McConaughey: How I turned my career around]

Instead of 'Magnum', he took up the role of the wayward Ron Woodruff in 'Dallas Buyers Club', a man who is diagnosed with HIV and begins smuggling alternative – but illegal – medicines for fellow sufferers.

Based on a true story, it's already getting Oscar buzz following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend.

It's due out in the UK on February 7.