Matthew McConaughey has appeared in plenty of memorable movies over the years. Think along the lines of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “The Dallas Buyers Club” and “Dazed and Confused,” just to name a few. However, before he made his name in Hollywood and became an A-list star, he was a young actor who was just starting out in show business.
Despite the fact that he wasn’t yet famous and wasn’t as influential in the industry as he is nowadays, he was still able to do something quite amazing. He helped catch a real-life murderer.
McConaughey Appeared on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ in 1992
During the recent Filmland film festival in Little Rock, Arkansas, McConaughey was presented with the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award and attended a screening of his film, “The Rivals of Amziah King.” He also sat down for a chat with filmmaker Jeff Nichols, which is when it was mentioned that the actor’s screen debut was on the true crime show “Unsolved Mysteries.”
In an episode that aired back on December 2, 1992, the real-life story that was told saw McConaughey portraying a Marine named Larry Dean Dickens, from Pasadena, Texas. In 1978, Dickens was killed by Edward Harold Bell, who Dickens had “confronted” after Bell “was exposing himself to children,” according to Variety. After shooting Dickens multiple times, which resulted in the Marine’s death, Bell fled and managed to escape being arrested for 14 years.
However, when McConaughey’s episode of “Unsolved Mysteries” that focused on Bell’s crime hit screens, viewers recognized and identified the murderer. Just a few months later, on February 14, 1993, the FBI and Panamanian National Police worked together to capture Bell who was found in Panama City. After his arrest, Bell claimed to have been responsible for the deaths of 11 people, but it was the murder of Dickens that saw him convicted. Bell eventually died in prison on April 20, 2019, when he was 79 years old.
During the recent event that McConaughey attended, he addressed the fact that his episode led to Bell’s arrest and eventual conviction, saying, “I’m gonna toot my own horn a little bit. The ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ episode I did? They caught the guy weeks later — based on what I did.”
Other Stars Appeared On ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Over the Years
GettyWhile you might be surprised to find out that McConaughey appeared on “Unsolved Mysteries,” it turns out that he’s not the only person who “got their big break” on the show, according to TVInsider.
If we go back to 1990, Scott Lawrence, who you may have seen on both “JAG” and “Mr. Mercedes,” was seen on the show as a man whose friend goes missing. The next year, “MADtv” alum Stephnie Weir appeared as a woman who lived in a hotel.
That’s not to mention “Stumptown” and “Blacklist: Redemption” actor Adrian Martinez who can be seen as a high school student who’s also a track star in an episode from 1992, and the Arrowverse’s David Ramsey, who played an American soldier in a 1994 episode.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Taran Killam appeared on “Unsolved Mysteries” in 1995, as did Jim Beaver, while Cheryl Hines can be seen in a 1997 episode. That’s not to mention “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0” star Daniel Dae Kim, who TVInsider notes “played the brother-in-law of a murder victim in a 1993 installment.”
