Matthew McConaughey Shares Emotional Message on Son Levi’s 16th Birthday: ‘Enjoy the Journey’

Matthew McConaughey shared some words of wisdom for his eldest son, Levi, on his milestone 16th birthday.

“Alright, Levi. Coming on that age, buddy. About to be out on your own,” McConaughey, 54, said in an audio message playing over photos of Levi uploaded via Instagram on Sunday, July 7. “Me and your mom hope we’ve done as good of a job as we can. You’re not gonna really have us as a safety net out there in the wonderful, wild world.”

As Levi begins the newest chapter in his life, McConaughey says he wants his son to “just go out [and] enjoy” each moment.

“Be aware of your surroundings. Be yourself. Know when to say yes, know when to say no. Know when to say maybe,” he continued. “See the good in everybody else but know that not everyone else is always paying attention.”

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McConaughey concluded his birthday message by stating, “Take your time. Enjoy the journey.”

The actor and his wife, Camila Alves — who also share daughter Vida, 14, and son Livingston, 11 — both reposted the heartfelt video via their Instagram Stories.

Levi recently joined his famous father in a series of Lincoln car ads, in which McConaughey imparts more fatherly wisdom to his eldest child. “My favorite day of my life is when I got my driver’s license,” he told Levi in an ad shared via Instagram on June 13. “It meant freedom. It meant independence.”

McConaughey continued, “Now it’s your time. You ready?” and Levi replied, “Yeah.” The clip ends with McConaughey stating, “Time to get behind the wheel.”

Earlier this year, the Oscar winner posed for red carpet pics with Alves, 41, and their three kids at the 12th annual Mack, Jack & McConaughey Gala in Austin, Texas. Levi and Livingston looked all grown up in black suits at the April event, and Vida wore a pink dress. McConaughey, for his part, complemented his wife’s black dress with a chic navy suit.

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McConaughey and Alves welcomed Levi four years before they tied the knot in 2012. Since becoming the parents of three, the couple have given fans rare glimpses into their family life. Last year, the pair announced via Instagram that they were allowing Levi to join social media as a 15th birthday present.

“He knows who he is and he knows where he’s going. I think he can handle it,” McConaughey stated in the July 2023 Instagram clip. “He’s got a great story to tell and share.”

Levi McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey, Livingston McConaughey, Camila Alves McConaughey, and Vida McConaughey.

One year prior, Alves exclusively told Us Weekly that she and McConaughey “need more energy” raising teenagers. “You need more brain power because it becomes all very about the mind, right?” she said in July 2022. “It's like a teenager [is] trying to find their identity and find how they're going to navigate their lives. So I think that ... for me, it's more challenging in a good way.”

She went on to add that it was “beautiful” seeing her kids continue to grow up, adding, “It’s inspiring. It also makes you look at a lot of things that you are doing as an adult as well, you know, when you get to that stage.”