Originally Published: 11 APR 23 10:37 ET

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) -- Matthew McConaughey sounds ready to dive into a new role.

Days after Paramount Media Networks head Chris McCarthy confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that McConaughey is set to star in a "Yellowstone" spinoff, a podcast conversation offered some insight into McConaughey's current thinking about his career.

Dax Shepard spoke with the Oscar-winning actor on a new "Armchair Expert" episode, and McConaughey said he's in a different place in his life after spending time writing a memoir in recent years.

"I am now becoming more interested in actually going to play another character in a TV show because the last four years of culminating and writing and getting these things together and getting more into public service," McConaughey explained. "The idea of going to act in the right kind of role, in the right kind of movie, film or series right now sounds like an awesome vacation."

The "Dallas Buyers Club" star said his choice to step back from performing to focus on other projects has not "been in vain," adding "I'll be a different or improved actor in my own right after this last three years."

"What I have is so much respect for the vocation of acting," McConaughey said. "I think I have a healthier relationship. I'm not looking at it for my survival and my thrive-all. I think good acting emulates life. Real life is where this stuff comes from."

McConaughey was thrust back into the spotlight after a report in February that Kevin Costner would be leaving "Yellowstone," with McConaughey potentially joining the franchise.

"We have no news to report," a spokesperson for Paramount told CNN in a statement at the time.

McCarthy told THR in his recent interview that there are plans to move ahead with the spinoff starring McConaughey regardless of how Costner's role evolves on "Yellowstone."