Matthew McConaughey Joins Zach Bryan for ‘Nine Ball’ Music Video

Country star Zach Bryan recruited Western film legend Matthew McConaughey for his “Nine Ball” music video, released on Monday.

The video, directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, tells the story of a boy whose father is a gambling addict. McConaughey plays a pool shark who brings his young son to the bar while he bets cash against his opponent, played by Scott Shepherd.

In an alternate timeline, Tye Sheridan plays an older version of McConaughey’s son, who grows up to play billiards in the same pool hall as his father. The narratives jump back and forth from each other, depicting the effect of the father’s gambling on the son, and ends with a flashback shot of McConaughey carrying the young boy out of the bar after a bar fight.

“Nine Ball” comes from Bryan’s EP Boys of Faith, which he released in September 2023. At the Grammy Awards last Sunday, the singer took home best country duo performance for “I Remember Everything.” He was also nominated for best country album (Zach Bryan) and best country song (“I Remember Everything”).

McConaughey’s part in the film comes on the heels of news that he is in talks to land his next role for the big screen, Apple Original Films’ The Lost Bus, with Paul Greengrass already circling.

Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown) wrote the script for The Lost Bus, which is based on Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 book about California’s 2018 Camp Fire, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. The film follows bus driver Kevin McKay and teacher Mary Ludwig, who helped evacuate a school bus full of students.