Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey's Woodroof was a gritty rodeo rider who at his core was a product of Texas. In fact it was McConaughey's Texan roots that made him the first choice for the role of the HIV infected homophobe Woodroof. At the start of his career, McConaughey was known for his leading roles in romantic comedies, such as Maid in Manhattan and Failure to Launch. but since making The Lincoln Lawyer in 2011 the roles he chose became more character-driven and edgy. In 2013 he starred in Dallas Buyers Club and had a supporting role in The Wolf of Wall Street, both movies being nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards.
McConaughey was attracted to the role because he saw something different in it and recognized in Ron a wildness that spoke to him and he also liked the raw style of the screenplay. He dropped fifty pounds in order to play Ron, which led to a great deal of media speculation about his own health before the reason for his sunken appearance was made publicly known.
Jared Leto
Cult television star Leto was a controversial choice to play the role of Rayon, but casting him turned out to be the best decision the producers could have made. Known for submerging himself in a role as a Method actor, Leto created a different voice with its own tones and intonation for Rayon that he spoke in twenty four hours a day for the duration of the production. He also lost thirty pounds in weight from his already slight frame. This was not a new experience for Leto as he had already changed his physique and put his body through extreme workouts for a number of roles, including his acclaimed portrayal of Olympic distance running legend Steve "Pre" Prefontaine.
Leto was awarded the Best Supporting Actor statue at the Academy Awards, and also won the Critics Choice, Golden Globe and Screen Actors' Guild awards for his performance. Famously picky about the roles that he takes, Leto is also well known for his music, touring regularly with his indie band Thirty Seconds To Mars.
Jennifer Garner
For at least half of the present decade, Jennifer Garner has been better known for her private life, regularly emblazoned across the covers of celebrity gossip magazines, than for her acting chops; initially she was not keen to take on the role of Dr Eve Saks, one of the movie's fictional characters. The characters in the film seemed too troubled and were suffering too much for Garner to comprehend. Her career before Dallas Buyers Club had been all together more upbeat and cheerful; movies like 13 Going On 30 and Juno. The role of Dr Saks was a pivotal one for Garner whose subsequent roles have been far more edgy and daring.Garner also works tirelessly as an ambassador for the Save the Children Fund.
Griffin Dunne
Dunne rounded out the trio of "Method" actors cast in the movie, having studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse Schoof the Theater in New York City. Known for both television and big screen works, Dunne manages to make the maverick doctor for a license to practise one of the most sympathetic characters in the film.
As well as being a part of the ensemble cast of this Oscar nominated film, Dunne was also nominated for an Academy Award as a director, in 1995, for Duke of Groove, a live action short film that he also co-wrote.
Bradford James Cox
Another actor whose casting was frowned upon by the LGBTQ community, Cox is better known as a rock musician than a character actor. The role of Sunflower signified his acting debut.
Steve Zahn
Zahn is one of a select group of actors known to both parents and their younger children, having starred in a series of 'nineties "slacker" movies, such as Reality Bites and That Thing You Do, and also in the first three films in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He is also a successful and acclaimed comedian, appearing regularly on Saturday Night Live.
Dallas Michael Roberts
It is hard to believe that Dallas Buyers Club might actually be the most light-hearted film that Roberts has appeared in during the past couple of decades, yet it is in fact the case; known best for appearing in the big screen version of Night of the Living Dead, his post-Dallas Buyers Club filmography has included the psychologically disturbing My Friend Dahmer. In general, Roberts is more recognizable as a television actor, with credits that include many prime time hits, such as The Good Wife and Law and Order : Special Victims Unit.
