Jimmy Kimmel, 58, has revealed that he had a shocking encounter with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, 56, backstage at the Emmy Awards.
Kimmel discussed the incident with McConaughey’s co-star and friend Woody Harrelson, 65, who was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday.
After the In Memoriam segment, Kimmel said he headed to the bathroom to collect himself; his friend and former house band leader, Cleto Escobedo III, died on Nov. 11 and appeared in the montage that night. Kimmel was washing his hands when he noticed McConaughey next to him.
“He’s at the urinal, and I’m washing my hands, and I say, ‘Hey,’” Kimmel said. “And he sees that I’m upset, and he’s like, ‘Hey, you OK?’ I told him what happened, and he, again, is at the urinal, and he turns to me, and he gives me a very nice hug. He hugs me real, you know, very warmly.”
The thoughtful interaction took a turn when something occurred to Kimmel. During the hug, a question came up.
“I said, ‘Is your penis out?’” Kimmel relayed to Harrelson. McConaughey responded, “‘Yes, it is. Yes, it is.’ And he says, ‘In fact, I’m going to rub it up against you a little bit,’” Kimmel continued.
The surprises kept coming. Right after that exchange, Harrelson emerged from a stall, where he’d been the whole time. Kimmel asked if Harrelson had any thoughts on the interaction after witnessing the odd moment.
“I mean, I never try to grade or to critique what other people are doing,” Harrelson joked. “I figured you guys are whatever your thing is. I don’t want to be the guy to say, ‘Uh, no, not in the restroom at the Emmys.’”
Harrelson then said he’d overheard Kimmel, who was choked up, and offered his sympathies. The three had a “group hug” in the hallway after exiting the bathroom, he said.
“I will tell you, that lightened the moment considerably,” Kimmel said. “And Cleto would have loved that very much.”
Harrelson and McConaughey co-created Apple TV’s forthcoming comedy series Brothers. Jimmy Kimmel Live! was nominated for Outstanding Variety Series alongside The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Saturday Night Live, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which won the award.
