By Kayla DeKraker
A Texas legend is getting a big screen treatment! A movie about Houston native Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is in the works.
An entrepreneur, McIngvale began Gallery Furniture, a well-known furniture retail chain, but more than that, his continuous acts of kindness and generosity leave a mark on his community.
“Often opening his Gallery Furniture stores to shelter and feed people during natural disasters, McIngvale has helped thousands affected by multiple major hurricanes in Texas, earning recognition as a Houston hero,” Deadline reported.
“This past summer, McIngvale made headlines after donating 500 mattresses to survivors of the July Fourth Texas Hill Country floods, along with first responders and volunteers who helped out during the historic flood event,” the outlet added.
The movie, fittingly titled MATTRESS MACK, follows McIngvale’s story from the 1980s to 2000s as he starts Gallery Furniture alongside his wife, Linda, while helping his daughter battle “a debilitating case” of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Billy Magnussen, known for his roles in the live action LILO & STITCH as well as THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK, will star as McIngvale.
“Jim McIngvale’s story is one of resilience, heart and community. I’m honored to help bring his incredible journey to the screen and to collaborate with such passionate storytellers in capturing the spirit of ‘Mattress Mack’ and the city of Houston,” Magnussen said in a statement.
The cast also includes Dianna Agron, Darby Lee-Stack and Rob Corddry. Shane Andries wrote the screenplay and will direct the project, which began filming in Texas last month.
“Shane Andries pitched the idea to us. It’s a feel-good movie about my entrepreneurial story, my life, and my wife and daughter,” McIngvale told Furniture Today. “She had a mental illness, and we stayed the course and got it under control, and now she is a world-renowned expert in the field.”
The philanthropist hopes the movie inspires viewers.
“That’s the whole idea. There’s a lot of despair in this country, but there’s hope. If they keep hope alive and keep fighting, they can get to the light at the end of the tunnel,” McIngvale said. “That’s what we had to do, and it’s worth the effort.”
Even after finding so much success, Mattress Mack continues to give generously and encourage others to do the same, sharing one way he’s doing just that on Instagram.
“We’re certainly glad to have the giving machine back at Gallery Furniture for another great year, because the giving machine is what life is all about,” he said. “The Giving Machine makes a huge difference in people’s lives all over the world so Gallery Furniture is once again thrilled to host The Giving Machine here.”
At the heart of McIngvale’s story is a reminder that the American Dream is about so much more than becoming successful; it’s about sharing what you have with others. Luke 6:38 resonates with his story when it says “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
We can’t wait to see Mattress Mack’s story arrive in theaters!
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