Matthew McConaughey Explains Why He Turned Down Playing Joel in HBO's The Last of Us Show

Matthew McConaughey opened up astir being approached to prima arsenic Joel Miller successful HBO’s The Last of Us bid and revealed wherefore helium had to crook the accidental down.

In an August 13 occurrence of his Happy Sad Confused podcast, amusement writer Josh Horowitz mentioned that Craig Mazin — the co-creator, showrunner, and enforcement shaper of The Last of Us amusement — had brought up the task to McConaughey aboriginal successful its development.

The histrion confirmed that this treatment took place, but said helium wasn’t capable to instrumentality the relation astatine the time, arsenic helium was much focused connected penning and felt immoderate hesitation toward being progressive successful semipermanent projects similar TV shows.

“I wasn’t truly acting astatine that point,” helium explained. “I deliberation that was erstwhile I was doing much penning and looking astatine enactment roles. It was truly good. He [Craig Mazin] was truly excited. Correct maine if I’m incorrect — I’m not a immense TV watcher, but we pulled disconnected a existent coup with True Detective astatine a clip erstwhile bid were not thing that actors similar myself and Woody Harrelson would hop disconnected and spell do. That 1 succeeded successful a existent royal fashion.

“The Last of Us was truly good, it wasn’t for maine astatine the time. I don’t cognize what would’ve been for maine astatine the time. I conjecture the archetypal happening I came crossed was [The Rivals of Amziah King], that I went like, ‘Oh, this is highly particular. It’s a movie. It’s 1 movie. A series, I bash consider, ‘Well, you privation this to succeed, and successful its success, this is thing you’ll beryllium doing for years and years and years.’ Do I privation that to beryllium the case?”

This isn’t the archetypal clip the actor’s aboriginal discussions with Mazin person been brought up connected Horowitz’s podcast; Mazin himself spoke astir the talks successful 2023, saying helium floated the thought to McConaughey with Joel successful mind, though it wasn’t thing ace serious.

“I did speech to Matthew [McConaughey],” Mazin confirmed. “I can’t accidental it was serious. It was much like, ‘Hey, here’s thing we tin speech about.’ It’s 1 of those things where, I’m definite there’s an alternate beingness wherever it’s a antithetic actor. Matthew McConaughey is an astonishing actor, I’m definite it would’ve been great, but it would’ve been different, and I similar the 1 that we made.”

In the end, Pedro Pascal took connected the mantle of Joel, a casting determination that turned retired to beryllium a large deed with some fans and critics alike. Mazin admitted that Pascal was already astatine the apical of their database successful the precise beginning, but wasn’t definite he’d beryllium disposable to instrumentality the part.

“As we were floundering astir a small bit,” helium told Horowitz. “I got a telephone from his cause who said, ‘You know, helium really mightiness beryllium available,’” Mazin said. “Normally erstwhile you nonstop scripts disconnected to actors similar this, you’re fortunate if you get a work wrong a month. He was successful England astatine the clip moving connected a movie and I thought betwixt the movie and the clip change, this volition beryllium forever. I sent it connected Friday. Saturday greeting I get a call: ‘He loves it. He wants to get connected a Zoom.’”

While Season 1 of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation was met with praise each around, Season 2 was decidedly little well-received, with viewers mostly taking contented with however Ellie was portrayed successful examination to her video crippled counterpart.

Naughty Dog main Neil Druckmann has stepped distant from his engagement successful the amusement to absorption connected the studio’s adjacent game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The Last of Us volition person a 3rd and last play — thing that fans judge volition besides enactment up with a 3rd crippled sometime down the line, if Druckmann’s erstwhile comments are thing to spell by.

Image Credits: Rick Kern/FilmMagic/Getty Images, Naughty Dog

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With 10 years of acquisition reporting connected games and entertainment, she’s got a storied inheritance successful the warring crippled community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her connected Twitter astatine @TheeMissGlaze.