Michael Connelly

Matthew McConaughey to take another ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ ride

Michael Connelly, author of The Lincoln Lawyer,  could envision Matthew McConaughey playing his dodgy defense attorney Mickey Haller even before Matthew could.

After he wrote the novel, Michael saw Tropic Thunder and told his wife that he could see Matthew as the fast-taking, fast-moving defense attorney. “There were elements of his sleazy, underhanded agent in Tropic Thunder that showed he could handle Haller,” Michael told The Dish Rag at the press junket last week.

Connolly came up with the idea for Haller when he sat next to a defense attorney at a baseball game whom—when Michael asked where his office was — told him “I work out of the back of my car.” “The light bulb went off,” Connelly said. “I stayed until the ninth inning, and as you know, no one stays until the ninth inning, talking to the guy.” He’s also stayed in touch with him and even took the guy to the Los Angeles premiere on March 10.

McConaughey may hop in the backseat of the Lincoln again. Connelly’s second Mickey Haller book is due out in April. Do we sense a franchise?

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Matthew McConaughey, Attorney at Law? Hey, coulda worked

Matthew McConaughey, is perfectly cast as Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer, based on the crime novel by Michael Connolley about a defense attorney who operates his legal practice out of his car.

Seems Matthew wanted to become a lawyer when he was young. And what a waste that would have been. Far better that he plays one so adeptly in films.

“I thought that’s what I wanted to do with my life in college, actually ever since I was 14,” Matthew told The Dish Rag last week during the films’ Los Angeles press junket. “But when I was going to University of Texas, I realized how many more years of school it would take and I didn’t want to miss my 20s.”

Why did he want to become a lawyer? “Debate Love debate. From both sides, and I really felt like I was built for it. I am 100 % clear with being able to defend someone I thought was innocent. I can fight that fight and I can win that fight.That’s idealistically why I was interested in criminal law.

Not that Haller is idealistic. Far from it.

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