The Criterion Collection has released the long-lost audition tape of Matthew McConaughey reading for the part of Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s high school film classic Dazed and Confused. It was McConaughey’s first film role, and after he stole the show as the stoner alum who just wanted a joint and some high school tail, he moved to Hollywood and immediately began working as an actor full time. The rest — as they say — is history (including all the shitty rom coms we had to endure in order to get there).

In a related story, Richard Linklater’s follow-up, That’s What I’m Talking About — a “spiritual sequel” to Dazedrecently wrapped filming at Texas State University last fall.

[Uproxx]