Matthew McConaughey revealed that he considered playing Joel Miller in HBO’s “The Last of Us.” He ultimately passed on the role before Pedro Pascal took over. McConaughey explained that acting was not his priority during that period.
Matthew McConaughey seriously considered playing Joel before passing on ‘The Last of Us’
McConaughey discussed the casting decision during Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. Horowitz asked whether he had seriously considered joining the video game adaptation. McConaughey confirmed that he had.
However, the “Interstellar” star said the role “wasn’t for me at the time.” He explained, “I wasn’t really acting at that point.” “I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good. I was really excited,” he shared.
He also reflected on his experience with HBO’s “True Detective” on the podcast. The actor starred as Rust Cohle alongside Woody Harrelson in 2014. McConaughey earned an Emmy nomination for his performance as the troubled detective.
“The Last of Us” later found its Joel in Pedro Pascal. Pascal’s performance earned him two Emmy nominations for the role. The series itself received 40 Emmy nominations between 2023 and 2025.
The show’s co-creator, Craig Mazin, previously discussed McConaughey’s involvement. Mazin said his conversation with the actor was not a serious casting discussion. He described it as more of an opportunity to explore an alternative.
Mazin also said Pascal had been considered for Joel from the very beginning. However, Pascal was initially unavailable when the series was being developed. Mazin acknowledged that another actor could have played Joel differently.
McConaughey ultimately chose a different path at the time. He was pursuing writing and leadership opportunities instead of returning to regular acting. His decision allowed Pascal to define one of the show’s central characters.
McConaughey is now promoting “The Rivals of Amziah King,” a new crime thriller that hits theaters this Friday.
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