American actor Matthew McConaughey has revealed why he turned down the lead role of Joel in the HBO drama series The Last of Us during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The character was ultimately played by Pedro Pascal, the star of Disney series The Mandalorian.
The Interstellar and The Gentlemen star confirmed that Craig Mazin, creator of Chernobyl and co-creator of the television adaptation, approached him about the role in 2020. However, McConaughey decided at the time to take a break from his acting career, relocating to Texas to focus on other matters and turning down offers from various creators.
Speaking on the podcast, McConaughey explained that taking a pause from acting was a great decision for him. He recalled how he and Woody Harrelson had previously made a major breakthrough with True Detective at a time when leading Hollywood actors rarely took on television projects.
Choosing Movies Over Long Series
Although he acknowledged that The Last of Us turned out to be a great show, McConaughey said it was simply not right for him at that moment. He admitted that he does not know what would have happened if he had accepted the role.
McConaughey noted that while his recent project The Rivals of Amziah King was just a single feature film, a successful series requires an actor to shoot for years. His latest movie release to date is the thriller School Bus for Apple TV.
The actor has also signed on for multiple future projects, including a Netflix series created by Nic Pizzolatto, the writer behind True Detective.
The Last of Us Reaches Its Conclusion
Meanwhile, the television adaptation of The Last of Us is gradually drawing to a close. Filming for the third season is currently underway in Canada, with the new episodes scheduled to premiere in 2027.
The third season will mark the end of the franchise, officially concluding the story of The Last of Us screen universe.
