The actor's appearance in the White House briefing room, after he and his wife Camilla met with President Joe Biden, was in many ways extraordinary, as he spoke movingly in tribute to the victims and their lives cut short, sharing deeply personal stories. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed when a gunman opened fire on their classroom.

The actor earlier this week published an op ed in the Austin American Statesman in which he called for a series of gun reform proposals, including background checks for all gun purchases, a minimum 21-year-old requirement for buying assault rifles, a waiting period for purchase and for nationwide "red flag" laws.

"We got a chance for, right now, to reach for and grasp a higher ground, above our political affiliations," McConaughey said. "A chance to make a choice that does more than protect your party. A chance to make a choice that protects our country now and for the next generation."