HBO Originally Approached This Top Actor to Play the Role of Joel in ‘The Last of Us’
Matthew McConaughey said he passed on Joel because the series could have tied him to the same role for years, while Pedro Pascal earned Emmy recognition.
- Matthew McConaughey confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he turned down the role of Joel Miller in HBO's The Last of Us, stating, "It wasn't for me at the time."
- Creator Craig Mazin reached out to McConaughey when Pedro Pascal initially appeared unavailable, though Mazin stated the conversation was casual rather than a serious offer.
- McConaughey compared the project to his Emmy-nominated True Detective role, saying, "We pulled off a real coup with True Detective," but noted the series commitment differed from that anthology's self-contained story.
- Pedro Pascal eventually landed the role of Joel, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance opposite Bella Ramsey in the acclaimed series, which McConaughey acknowledged was "really good."
- McConaughey is currently promoting The Rivals of Amziah King, his first live-action role since 2019's The Gentlemen, which opens in limited release on August 14.
48 Articles
48 Articles
The actor confessed that he was in talks to be the protagonist of the series, but it ended up being Pedro Pascal who gave life to the main character
Matthew McConaughey reveals why he passed on the role of Joel in ‘The Last of Us’: ‘I wasn’t really acting at that point’
Matthew McConaughey explained that he ultimately declined the role of Joel Miller in The Last of Us because he was pursuing other professional interests rather than returning to acting full time. “I wasn’t really acting at that point. That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life,” the Oscar...
Matthew McConaughey Nearly Played Joel in HBO's The Last of Us
Matthew McConaughey nearly traded the plains of Texas for the post-apocalyptic wasteland of HBO’s The Last of Us. The Oscar-winning actor has confirmed that he was approached about playing Joel Miller, the hardened smuggler ultimately portrayed by Pedro Pascal. Although McConaughey responded positively to the material, he decided that the role did not fit where he was in his career at the time. The Last of Us promo image – HBO Max READ: The Sosk…
Matthew McConaughey Reveals He Almost Signed On to Play Joel in THE LAST OF US Before Pedro Pascal Was Hired
As with any big role, whether in film or TV, there is almost always a list of actors who were considered for the part before the final casting choice was made. One of those roles with a compelling history is that of Joel from The Last of Us. The show is based on the video game of the same name, which meant there was going to be a lot of pressure on the actors and creators to make a series that held up for fans of the franchise. Joel ultimately w…
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