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

Matthew McConaughey discussed being approached to play Joel Miller in HBO's The Last of Us series during an episode of his Happy Sad Confused podcast in August. Entertainment journalist Josh Horowitz brought up the project, and McConaughey confirmed the conversation, but explained he couldn't take the role at the time. He was more focused on writing and hesitated about long-term projects like TV shows.

McConaughey also mentioned that True Detective was a significant coup for actors like himself and Woody Harrelson, and questioned if the same would be true for a TV series. Craig Mazin, the show's co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer, had mentioned the opportunity to McConaughey early on, but Mazin himself noted it wasn't overly serious.

Pedro Pascal ultimately landed the role of Joel, a choice that paid off with praise from fans and critics. Season 1 of The Last of Us adaptation was well-received, but Season 2 received mixed reviews, particularly regarding the portrayal of Ellie. Neil Druckmann, the creator of the video game series, has stepped away from the show to work on Naughty Dog's next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

The final season of The Last of Us is confirmed, potentially aligning with a third game in the franchise.