McConaughey on Jail

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/05/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Actor Matthew McConaughey , arrested in a compromising position last year after being caught by the police playing bongos in the nude while in possession of marijuana paraphernalia, finally speaks up about the incident. Although he said there was "singing songs and stuff" during his incarceration, the "EDtv" star, 30, tells W magazine, "I spent nine hours in jail, and five is enough to appreciate it." As for his entrance into the slammer, "I was cuffed and yelling at everybody, but I had the chance to sit there all night and listen to everyone else brought in." Sitting there, he admitted to himself, "My defense was not that original. I mean, everybody had reasons why they were innocent."