Fight to film cult hero was lengthy
By Louis B. Hobson


HOLLYWOOD --- It took seven years, but Matthew McConaughey finally go to play one of his favourite literary heroes.

In the action adventure Sahara , McConaughey portarys the self-styled adventurer Dirk Pitt, the hero of a series of adventure novels Clive Cussler that achieved cult status among their fans.

The only other Dirk Pitt adventure to be made into a movie was Raise the Titanic in 1980.

"I am a huge fan of Clive's novels. I started actively chasing this project seven years ago" says McConaughey, who quickly discovered he was not alone in his desire to turn Dirk Pitt into another Indiana Jones.

"When I first met with Clive, he said I'd be a great Dirk, expect that I'm a blond and Dirk's a brunette.

"I think it was his way of trying to put me off. so I told him we could certaintky do somehting about the hair color."

It was then that McConaughey learened he was one of several actors who'd approached Cussler only to be rejected by the author, who was leery about having his hero become a movie star.

"I don't know who he turned down, but I wasn't about to be put off as easily. I was persistant and when finaning the project with me attached came through. I kept at him until I finally wore him down."

It took more than a year to get a script for Sahara that satisfied McConaughy, his backers and producers.

He didn't remain idle.

"I was in good shape, but I got myself in better shape. I did a lot of boxing and even more hiking and I kept both up as much as I could while we were filming." explains McConaughey.

He doesn't mind that his finely chiselled body has him labelled as an international sex symbol.

"I'd like women and I like that women like me. I like that they find me sexy and I want to be sexy for them.

"If that's what a sex symbol is, I'm comfortable with the label."

McConaughey says that his Dirk image doesn't intimidste men because "Dirk doesn't preen. He's not a show-off. That makes him as much a man's man as it does a sex symbol for woman."

In Sahara , Dirk is in search of a fabled Civil War battleship that was throught to have found its way to Norht Africa.

Al Giordino, Dirk's best friend and partner in adventure, is palyed by Steve Zahn.

Dirk's love interst, Eva Rojas, the beautiful United Nations scientist, played by Penelope Cruz.

At the same time Dirk was winning Eva's heart during their desert adventure,McConaughey was winning Cruz's heart.

"It started out as a friendship very much the way Dirk and Eva's does. And like their relationship does in the film, ours progressed to something more," McConaughey says.

He is hoping that Sahara is the begining of a wonderful friendship of his alter-ego Dirk and audiences around the world.

"The hope was always to spin this character into a franchise. If audiences want another one, we'll be onboard and track to give them one."

McConaughey has high hopes for Dirk, Eva and Al. "Saharais fun, cool, classy, classic adventure movie. It's actually old-fashioned and I think that's what audiences want."