Matthew McConaughey nearly traded the plains of Texas for the post-apocalyptic wasteland of HBO’s The Last of Us.
The Oscar-winning actor has confirmed that he was approached about playing Joel Miller, the hardened smuggler ultimately portrayed by Pedro Pascal. Although McConaughey responded positively to the material, he decided that the role did not fit where he was in his career at the time.
The Last of Us promo image – HBO Max
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“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” McConaughey explained during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good. I was excited.”
McConaughey was already familiar with HBO after starring alongside Woody Harrelson in the acclaimed first season of True Detective. His performance as troubled detective Rust Cohle earned him an Emmy nomination. The actor suggested that the show helped establish limited television series as prestigious destinations for major film stars.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not a huge TV watcher, we pulled off a real coup with True Detective at a time when series were not something that actors like myself or Woody Harrelson would hop over and go do,” he said. “That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last of Us was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.”
How Close Was McConaughey to Playing Joel?
Variety reports that The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin previously acknowledged speaking with McConaughey about the project. However, he downplayed how close the actor came to joining the series.
“It was more of just like, ‘Hey, here’s something we can talk about,’” Mazin said during an earlier appearance on the same podcast. “It’s one of those things where I’m sure there’s an alternate universe where it’s a different guy.”
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
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Mazin added that McConaughey would likely have delivered an impressive performance but emphasized that his version of Joel would have been significantly different from Pascal’s.
“I’m sure it would’ve been great, but it would’ve been different and I like the one that we made,” Mazin said.
Pascal eventually accepted the role of the Texas smuggler tasked with transporting Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, across a United States devastated by the Cordyceps infection. His Emmy-nominated performance became one of the defining roles of his career.
Why Did McConaughey Pass on The Last of Us?
McConaughey’s decision also reflected the considerable commitment required by a successful television series. Unlike a movie, The Last of Us could demand years of production if audiences embraced it.
Matthew McConaughey – Josh Horowitz, YouTube
“A series, you do have to consider if you want this to succeed, this is something you’ll be doing for years and year and years,” McConaughey said. “Do I want that to be the case in success?”
However, if McConaughey or his representatives were familiar with the source material, they may also have known that Joel suffers an inglorious fate in The Last of Us Part II. Actors can be sensitive to how their characters are treated on screen, particularly when it could affect their personal or professional image.
For McConaughey, who has cultivated a carefully crafted public persona, saying that the project “wasn’t for me at the time” may have been a diplomatic way of declining to elaborate on his concerns.
Do you think The Last of Us would have been better with Matthew McConaughey as Joel? Sound off and let us know!
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