The Last of Us is one of the most emotionally resonant and entertaining video game adaptation series in existence. The initial story of Joel, a man hardened by an apocalyptic situation and Ellie, a young girl who could hold the cure, truly blossoms into something special. To us, casting Pedro Pascal as Joel was a brilliant move but little did we know that he almost didn’t get the role. During his Happy Sad Confused podcast interview, Matthew McConaughey said he turned down the role of Joel in The Last of Us.
His reasoning behind this decision was rather simple: it was not for him at the time.
“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” McConaughey told podcast host Josh Horowitz. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good. I was excited. Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not a huge TV watcher, 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. That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last of Us was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.”
That’s a fair point. If someone wants to focus their creative talents on behind-the-scenes work, they probably wouldn’t want to take a leading role in an HBO series. This is especially true for something like The Last of Us, which has fervent fans and would require a ton of an actor’s time, at least a couple of years of their lives.
Nerdist’s Take: Pedro Pascal Has the Perfect Offscreen Persona That Makes Him a Great Joel (No Offense to Matthew)
Matthew McConaughey is certainly far from the worst actor, and probably would have been good if he hadn’t turned down the role as Joel in The Last of Us. But there’s something so incredibly charming and vulnerable about Pedro Pascal both as a person and in this role. Either way, it is another interesting “What If?” for the entertainment world.
The Last of Us is gearing up for season three, but you can always relive the first two seasons by streaming them on HBO Max. And, if you want to make sure that you truly have this gem of a series forever, you can own The Last of Us season two in 4K UHD.
