After watching The Lost Bus, many are wondering where the film’s lead character, Kevin McKay, is now. Apple TV+’s latest biography features Matthew McConaughey as the real-life hero Kevin McKay, who saved the lives of several children during the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
What happened to Matthew McConaughey’s Kevin McKay from The Lost Bus?
The Lost Bus centers on Kevin McKay, a real-life bus driver who heroically saved 22 children during the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California. The film premiered in select theaters and on Apple TV+ on October 3, 2025. It showcases McKay’s journey through the fire as he rescues children from a local school.
The movie adapts parts of McKay’s story from Lizzie Johnson’s Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. In addition to it, the filmmakers have taken artistic liberties, adding some intense scenes for dramatization.
Today, years after the incident, McKay works as a high school teacher at Fairview High School in Chico, California. He attended the premiere during a film festival in Toronto in September.
During an interview with KCRA Channel 3, McKay spoke highly about McConaughey’s performance. He said, “If you were going to throw a dart and pick the best actor—I mean, what a blessing it is to have somebody who can bring the seriousness and the emotion this character needs—the weight of this fire.”
He also appreciated the producers who captured the gravity of the incidents with utmost authenticity. “The story of the fire—the way everything felt that day—and, you know, kind of odd to say this, but I couldn’t imagine what it would have looked like from a drone until I saw this movie”
The Lost Bus stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera in the lead roles. The movie is directed by Paul Greengrass and co-produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, and is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
