Matthew McConaughey Saya Dropping Jennifer Lopez's Name Got Him Out Of A Police Stop In Mexico

Matthew McConaughey appeared on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast on Wednesday and shared one of the better celebrity-name-drop stories in recent memory.

He was crossing into Mexico late at night in a nice truck, "gringo in the truck, nice truck" — when officers pulled him over in what he immediately recognized as a situation requiring his wallet. He reached for it. Then he had a better idea.

"I brought up, 'You guys know Jennifer Lopez? Ever see Wedding Planner?'" McConaughey told Horowitz. He pointed at himself. The officers connected the dots. "They were like, 'Ohhh.'" The traffic stop became a photo session. They let him go.

McConaughey starred opposite Lopez in the 2001 romantic comedy, which earned $94 million at the global box office and launched his rom-com era in Hollywood.

He noted that The Wedding Planner is not his only film that has generated real-world dividends. "The Lincoln Lawyer is big in Cleveland," he said, adding that the show has gotten him out of a couple of traffic tickets there as well.

He is 56 years old. He is preparing to return to Hollywood after a six-year absence from acting. Jennifer Lopez is the reason he is not in a Mexican jail. Some movies just keep paying.