Actor Matthew McConaughey, a native of Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed twenty-one people at an elementary school last month, urged more action on gun control during an emotional White House press briefing on Tuesday.

Fresh off a meeting with President Joe Biden, the Academy Award-winning actor reaffirmed the administration’s call for expanded background checks, new “red flag” laws, and additional restrictions on the purchase of assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines.

“These are reasonable, practical, tactical regulations to our nation, states, communities, schools and homes,” McConaughey said during his twenty-two-minute speech.

“Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals. These regulations are not a step back—they're a step forward for a civil society and, and the Second Amendment,” he added.

“We got to get some real courage and honor our immortal obligations instead of our party affiliations. … Enough with the counterpunching. Enough of the invalidation of the other side. Let's come to the common table that represents the American people. Find a middle ground, the place where most of us Americans live anyway. Especially on this issue. Because I promise you, America, you and me, we are not as divided as we are being told we are,” he continued.

As reported by CNN, McConaughey and his wife, Camila Alves, spent most of the past week with the families of those who were killed at Robb Elementary School in his hometown.

“You know what every one of these parents wanted, what they asked us for? What every parent separately expressed in their own way to Camila and me? That they want their children's dreams to live on,” said McConaughey, who publicly weighed a run for governor in Texas last year. “That they want their children's dreams to continue, to accomplish something after they are gone. They want to make their loss of life matter.”

However, per Newsweek, not all lawmakers were moved by McConaughey’s call for action.

“The White House is so devoid of credible surrogates they've had to drag Matthew McConaughey off the set of yet another Magic Mike sequel to drone on about gun control. Not alright, not alright, not alright!,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) wrote on Twitter.

Added Carolina Serrano, Congressional Republican candidate for Nevada: “Matthew McConaughey performs as a male stripper in movies. I don't really care what he thinks of the Second Amendment, if we're being honest.”

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Finance and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters.