Matthew McConaughey explains why he turned down the role of Joel in The Last of Us
Matthew McConaughey was approached by HBO for the role of Joel Miller in The Last of Us adaptation but ultimately decided the role wasn’t right for him at the time. The part eventually went to Pedro Pascal, who portrayed the weathered smuggler throughout the series.
Showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed in 2023 that McConaughey had been contacted during the casting process, though Mazin emphasized that the conversation never progressed to serious negotiations. “It was more of just like, ‘Hey, here’s something we can talk about’,” Mazin explained, noting that he understood the appeal of an alternate casting choice but was satisfied with the final result. “I’m sure there’s an alternate universe where it’s a different guy. Matthew McConaughey is an amazing actor – I’m sure it would’ve been great, but it would’ve been different, and I like the one that we made,” he said.
McConaughey has now opened up about his own reasons for declining the opportunity, discussing his decision on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The showrunner’s confidence in Pascal’s performance was borne out by critical reception—the actor earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Joel during the show’s first season. The HBO series, based on Naughty Dog’s acclaimed video game franchise, became one of the network’s flagship shows and garnered multiple award nominations.