Matthew McConaughey decided to stop working because he had become "un-branded".

He explained: "It was the anonymity that did it. I became kind of un-branded in the minds of others for a while."

The star took a break from Hollywood after the release of his 2009 movie 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' which was critically panned, but admits he felt nervous during his time away from life as an actor as he was unsure whether he could afford to support his family.

The 45-year-old star - who has three children, Levi, six, Vida, four, and 22-month-old Livingston with his wife, model Camilla Alves - said: "I had to say, 'Is rent going to be paid? Am I going to have to sell the house? Because I'm going to go into the shadows here for a little while.' "

However, Matthew returned to screens in 2012 with 'Magic Mike' and won an Academy Award earlier this year for his portrayal of an AIDS sufferer in the 2013 movie 'Dallas Buyers Club'.

While the acclaimed actor admitted the prize was a huge success for him personally, he insisted it doesn't necessarily mean he has reached the pinnacle of his career.

He told The Huffington Post UK: "I've been doing it for 22 years, and I'm constantly growing, trying to get better at what I do. So I got granted the gold standard for our industry for doing excellent work. It means a lot.

"But it in no way feels like a destination, or a finishing line. It's a wonderful peak of a moment in my career, but very quickly, you think, right, let's go back to work."