Woody Harrelson weighs in on if Matthew McConaughey could be his brother

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are more than friends and popular co-stars — they might be brothers. 

The "True Detective" co-stars said in separate interviews recently that they may share a father. They discovered the possible link while their families were in Greece together a few years ago. 

In an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" this week, Harrelson said there "is some veracity" to potentially being siblings because McConaughey's mother, Kay, or "MawMac," hinted at it during a group conversation in Greece.

"I mentioned something about regrets and I said it’s odd that my father has no regrets," Harrelson recalled. "I’ve known MawMac a long time and she goes, ‘I knew ... your father.’” 

"It was the ellipses I found a little troubling, or interesting," he said. 

Host Stephen Colbert asked him to describe the pause. 

“Filled with innuendo,” the actor responded.

"A pregnant pause perhaps?" Colbert asked, prompting laughter from the onetime "Cheers" star. 

McConaughey shared the same story last week on the podcast "Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa."

"Everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew,’" he said. "It was a loaded K-N-E-W.”

The two actors, who are reportedly set to star in an upcoming comedy series for Apple TV+ called "Brother From Another Mother," later investigated whether it was possible. 

“We went on to unpack what this ‘knew’ meant and did some math and found out that his dad was on furlough at the same time that my mom and dad were in their second divorce," McConaughey said. "Then, there’s possible receipts and places out in West Texas where there might have been a gathering, or a meeting, or a ‘knew’ moment.”

He said their families have seen a resemblance for years.

“My family thinks a lot of pictures of him are me,” McConaughey said. “His family thinks a lot of pictures of me are him.”

In his interview with Colbert, Harrelson confirmed the timeline McConaughey gave, saying that nine months before McConaughey's birth, his mother was "on a sabbatical from her relationship with his supposed father, Jim."

McConaughey is 53 and his birthday is Nov. 4, 1969. Harrelson is 61 and was born on July 23, 1961.

Both actors said they plan to take DNA tests to confirm for sure. McConaughey told Ripa he'd have to prepare himself for the results. 

"It’s a little easier for Wood to say, ‘Come on. Let’s do it!’ because what’s the skin in it for him?" he said. "It’s a little harder for me because he’s asking me to take the chance ... I got a little more skin in the game."

Harrelson told Colbert it isn't as big a deal for him. (Harrelson's father was a convicted killer whom the actor has said was not around during his childhood. Charles Harrelson died in prison in 2007.)

"We want to go and test, but for him, it’s a much more big deal because he feels like he’s losing a father," Harrelson said. "I’m like no, you’re gaining a different father and a brother."

Colbert held up a picture of them bearing a resemblance.

"I’ll buy it," Colbert said. "I’ll buy half brother." 

Correction April 19, 2023 12:30 p.m.: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Woody Harrelson recalled how his mother said she knew Matthew McConaughey's father decades ago. In fact, it was McConaughey’s mother who said she knew Harrelson's father, according to both actors. 

This article was originally published on TODAY.com