Matthew McConaughey says he hid his son Levi’s last name from the director during auditions for The Lost Bus. Here’s why…

Matthew McConaughey did not allow his son Levi to rely on his surname to earn a role in The Lost Bus.

On Friday, Sept. 5, at the global premiere of the true-story drama at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Oscar winner, 55, was joined by his wife, Camila, and their eldest of three children, Levi, 17. The couple also has two other children: Vida, who is 15, and Livingston, who is 12.

McConaughey’s mother, Kay, 93, who attended the red carpet premiere, and Levi, who is making his feature film acting debut, co-star in the picture, which is directed by Paul Greengrass and produced by Jamie Lee Curtis. The cast also features America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson, and Spencer Watson.

During a Q&A session following the screening, McConaughey welcomed Levi onto the stage before proudly recounting how he came to be cast in the film.

“I had no idea that this young man, my son, was interested [in acting], but when I pitched the script to the family before work, the part about Kevin [McKay] having a son, he asked me one day, ‘Well, how old is he?’” I responded, ‘He’s around your age.’ He then asked, “Do you think I could read for the part?” And I said nothing. That wasn’t enough to prompt me to say ‘maybe’ or anything.”

The actor went on, “He returned four more times, and I said, ‘Okay, now he’s working for it, for the idea.’” And I said, ‘Yes.’ I knew they had not cast the part. I pulled out the camera, worked with him on a scene, and submitted it to [casting director] Francine Maisler, saying—remember I had a note?—’I believe it would be good enough for a callback.’ And she replied, ‘I think that would be good enough to present to Paul.’”

McConaughey stated that he asked Maisler, “When you do that, will you do me one favor?” Could you please remove the last name so that McConaughey is not included at the end?

“She said yes,” the celebrity remarked. “The next call I received, [Paul] replied, ‘That’s the person; that’s the son.’ He was then told, ‘Well, that happens to be Matthew’s son.’ And in typical Paul fashion, he said, ‘Even better!’… So this is all thanks to Paul. “My family is in this film because of this man on the left.”

The Lost Bus is based on actual events from the terrible 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, which remains one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in history.

According to the synopsis, McConaughey stars as a school bus driver who, together with a committed teacher (Ferrera), “battles to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.”

“I never want my films to be bleak,” Greengrass previously told Vanity Fair. “I’ve created films on difficult issues, but I always want them to be uplifting and hopeful. Otherwise, what’s the point?

The filmmaker said of Texan McConaughey in the main role, “What I admire about Matthew is that he’s a leading man, a movie star, and a character actor all in one. And he is particularly familiar with blue-collar neighborhoods.”

The Lost Bus will be released in select cinemas on September 19 and streamed on Apple TV+ on October 3.