Matthew McConaughey Discusses Passing On Playing Joel In The Last Of Us Show
Matthew McConaughey revealed that he was approached early in development to play Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation but declined the role. Speaking on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Oscar-winning actor said the project “was really good” but “wasn’t for me at the time.”
McConaughey cited two primary reasons for passing on the opportunity. First, he was not actively pursuing acting roles during that period, instead focusing on writing and pursuing leadership positions in filmmaking. Second, he expressed reluctance to commit to a long-term television series. “In success, this is something you’ll be doing for years and years and years,” he explained, highlighting the multi-year commitment such a role would demand.
Craig Mazin, the show’s co-creator and showrunner, had brought the project to McConaughey’s attention during early development. Ultimately, Pedro Pascal accepted the role of Joel and has since received widespread critical acclaim for his performance in the HBO adaptation of Naughty Dog’s acclaimed video game.