Matthew McConaughey almost fought off clickers in “The Last of Us.”
While talking on the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast, the Oscar winner and “True Detective” star revealed he was approached to take on the lead role of Joel in HBO’s adaptation of “The Last of Us” video game. He turned down the role that eventually went to Pedro Pascal because it came at a time where he had taken a step back from acting.
“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” McConaughey said. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good. I was excited.”
He continued: “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. That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. ‘Last of Us’ was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.”
McConaughey being briefly considered for the lead role in “The Last of Us” had been previously confirmed – also on the Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast – by showrunner and creator Craig Mazin.
“It was more of just 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 guy,” Mazin said. “Look, 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.”
The show going with Pascal as Joel seemed to work out just fine for the HBO series. The Marvel star earned himself an Emmy nomination for his work on the show – which itself also was nominated for Best Drama Series.
“The Last of Us” is based on the popular and award-winning PlayStation game. It follows a man tasked with taking a young girl across the country after it is discovered she is immune to the spore-based plagued that has ravaged the world. A third season of the show has been picked up by HBO and is expected to premiere sometime in 2027.
