Matthew McConaughey needed "liquid courage" to land a date with Camila Alves.

The Hollywood actor met the model at a bar in Los Angeles back in 2006 and he's revealed the tequila he was drinking at the time helped him get talking to her at the time.

He told Australia's Stellar magazine: "We met over margaritas almost two decades ago. I saw Camila from across the bar and didn't think 'who is that?', I thought 'What is that?'. Tequila gave me the liquid courage to call her over and we've been together ever since."

The pair struck up a relationship went on to marry in 2012 and become parents to three children. They have also since launched their own tequila brand called Pantalones.

Camilla previously revealed their romance almost faltered after he introduced her to his mother Mary Kathlene 'Kay' McCabe, explaining her now mother-in-law put her through hell by continually calling her by his ex-girlfriend's name.

Speaking on Southern Living's 'Biscuits Jam' podcast, Camila explained: "She did all these things when I first came in the picture, right? She was really testing me. I mean, really testing me. "She would call me by all of Matthew's ex-girlfriends' names, she would start speaking Spanish with me in a very broken way, kind of putting [me] down a bit. I mean, all kinds of stuff."

Camilla has since gone on to forge an "amazing relationship" with Kay, adding on the podcast: "I have so much respect for her. She has so much respect for me, it can get tricky sometimes. We always end with a good laugh and a joke."

Matthew later defended his mum's tough treatment of Camila insisting it was all part of his family's "rites of passage" and Camila passed with flying colours. He told ET Canada: "My family is big on rites of passage and initiation, and you don't get into the McConaughey family easily. We test you. And even in our own family with my brothers, and mother is one of us.

"Oh, my family, we humbly wait, we make you cry, and then we pick you up and make your favourite drink. … So there are initiations, rites of passage that my family's always enjoyed."