Matthew McConaughey Explains Why He Turned Down Playing Joel in HBO's The Last of Us Show
Matthew McConaughey opened up about being approached to star as Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us series and revealed why he had to turn the opportunity down.
In an August 13 episode of his Happy Sad Confused podcast, entertainment journalist Josh Horowitz mentioned that Craig Mazin — the co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer of The Last of Us show — had brought up the project to McConaughey early in its development.
The actor confirmed that this discussion took place, but said he wasn’t able to take the role at the time, as he was more focused on writing and felt some hesitation toward being involved in long-term projects like TV shows.
“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” he explained. “I think that was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles. It was really good. He [Craig Mazin] was really excited. Correct me if I’m wrong — I’m not a huge TV watcher, but we pulled off a real coup with True Detective at a time when series were not something that actors like myself and Woody Harrelson would hop off and go do. That one succeeded in a real royal fashion.
“The Last of Us was really good, it wasn’t for me at the time. I don’t know what would’ve been for me at the time. I guess the first thing I came across was [The Rivals of Amziah King], that I went like, ‘Oh, this is extremely particular. It’s a movie. It’s one movie. A series, I do consider, ‘Well, you want this to succeed, and in its success, this is something you’ll be doing for years and years and years.’ Do I want that to be the case?”
This isn’t the first time the actor’s early discussions with Mazin have been brought up on Horowitz’s podcast; Mazin himself spoke about the talks in 2023, saying he floated the idea to McConaughey with Joel in mind, though it wasn’t anything super serious.
“I did talk to Matthew [McConaughey],” Mazin confirmed. “I can’t say it was serious. It was more like, ‘Hey, here’s something we can talk about.’ It’s one of those things where, I’m sure there’s an alternate universe where it’s a different actor. Matthew McConaughey is an amazing actor, I’m sure it would’ve been great, but it would’ve been different, and I like the one that we made.”
In the end, Pedro Pascal took on the mantle of Joel, a casting decision that turned out to be a major hit with both fans and critics alike. Mazin admitted that Pascal was already at the top of their list in the very beginning, but wasn’t sure he’d be available to take the part.
“As we were floundering about a little bit,” he told Horowitz. “I got a call from his agent who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available,’” Mazin said. “Normally when you send scripts off to actors like this, you’re lucky if you get a read within a month. He was in England at the time working on a movie and I thought between the movie and the time change, this will be forever. I sent it on Friday. Saturday morning I get a call: ‘He loves it. He wants to get on a Zoom.’”
While Season 1 of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation was met with praise all around, Season 2 was decidedly less well-received, with viewers largely taking issue with how Ellie was portrayed in comparison to her video game counterpart.
Naughty Dog chief Neil Druckmann has stepped away from his involvement in the show to focus on the studio’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The Last of Us will receive a third and final season — something that fans believe will also line up with a third game sometime down the line, if Druckmann’s previous comments are anything to go by.
Image Credits: Rick Kern/FilmMagic/Getty Images, Naughty Dog
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.