The University Block and Bridle Club’s 75th annual rodeo has all the usual features — bulls, cowboys, calf-roping, fun and games. However, this year’s rodeo will have an unexpected guest — Matthew McConaughey.
During the rodeo, students have the chance to be extras in the independent feature film “Dallas Buyers Club.”
The film stars Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, and it’s directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who has directed numerous French films and a few television series.
Jeanmarie Murphy, publicist for “Dallas Buyers Club,” said the movie is a biopic that centers on McConaughey’s character, Ron Woodroof, who leads a hard-partying lifestyle and must deal with the consequences of his ways.
“‘The Dallas Buyers Club’ is based on a true story, set in 1985, about a man who is an AIDS patient in the days when no one quite knew what that was,” Murphy explained. “In his desperation to keep himself alive and a lack of FDA-approved drugs, he goes south of the border and smuggles drugs from Mexico to treat himself and other patients.”
Murphy said McConaughey’s character is a bull rider who gives up his career when his health begins to deteriorate.
Filmmakers will be present during the rodeo Friday. They will be filming the shots of the crowd for the movie as well as stuntmen riding steers.
“This Friday, there will be second units. Second unit is basically stunt work. Matthew McConaughey will be in attendance, but he’s not going to be in character or working. It will be the stuntmen doing the work, and they’re doing scenes where they’re actually riding the bulls,” Murphy said.
Those interested in being extras should attend the rodeo Friday. The filmmakers ask that audience members avoid wearing logos and to sport their best Western attire to help create a Texas rodeo vibe.
Emily Shields, animal science senior and assistant rodeo manager, explained there are two rodeos. Thursday night is the student rodeo, in which only students may participate in the show. The Friday night rodeo is an open rodeo, meaning anyone is invited to ride.
Shields said she hopes the rodeo will garner more attendees than the rodeo’s usual turnout.
“We’re hoping it will publicize us more because we would always love to do our job where you’re passionate and you love it,” Shields said. “The people that come are people that have been coming forever, so it’s a tradition for them. We really want to reach out to the LSU community because our student turnout hasn’t been as strong the past couple of years.”
Shields said the usual rodeo attendance is about 200 to 300 people. This year they’re hoping for anywhere up to 8,000 rodeo-goers.
Shields said the rodeo will be benefiting Brave Heart- Children in Need, Inc. The organization offers foster children a sense of home by giving them toys and items that they can call their own.
She said there will be a donation box at the rodeo to collect toys for the children, and some of the proceeds of the ticket sales will also be going to the charity.
Shields said the rodeo will feature bull-riding, calf-roping and calf-sorting. She said the rodeo also features humorous activities like goat dressing. Goat dressing involves teams competing to clothe a goat the quickest.
The rodeos both begin at 7 p.m. and the cost of admission is $5.
