Matthew McConaughey Explains His Decision to Decline the Role of Joel in The Last of Us Series: “It Wasn’t Right for Me Then”

If you’ve only experienced HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us, you likely picture Pedro Pascal as Joel, the tough survivor who becomes a reluctant father figure while grappling with his dark past. However, he wasn’t the only actor considered for this iconic role. In 2023, the showrunner revealed that he had discussions with Matthew McConaughey about stepping into the shoes of one of gaming’s most memorable tragic figures. Ultimately, the role went to Pascal. Fast forward three years, and McConaughey has shared his reasons for not pursuing the part, largely due to his reluctance to commit to a long-term television project.

In a chat on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, McConaughey reflected on his decision, explaining that he wasn’t actively acting when the show was being developed in the early 2020s. He mentioned that he was focusing more on writing and exploring leadership roles in his life at that time. “I wasn’t really acting at that point,” he said. “I think that was part of when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles and in life and stuff. It was really good. I was really excited. Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not a huge TV watcher, but 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. And that one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last of Us was really good, it wasn’t for me at the time. I don’t know what would have been for me at the time. I guess that the first thing that came across was Rivals of Amziah King that I went like, ‘Oh this is extremely particular.’ It’s a movie. It’s one movie, and a series you do have to consider, you want this to succeed. Well in success, this is something you’ll be doing for years and years and years. Do I want for that to be the case in success?”

Had McConaughey taken on the role, he would have discovered that by season two, he would have had plenty of free time, as Pascal and many new fans quickly realized. But when you have the star power of McConaughey, you can afford to be selective about long-term commitments.

The third season of The Last of Us is currently in production and will primarily focus on Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.