Matthew McConaughey Turned Down The Last Of Us Before Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal has soared to household name status in the 2020s thanks to his work in projects like The Mandalorian, The Fantastic Four and Gladiator II – but arguably, there’s one role in particular that put him on the map above all others.

In 2023, he received widespread praise for his performance as Joel in the dystopian video game adaptation The Last Of Us, earning him an Actor Award and nominations at the Golden Globes and Emmys.

What might surprise you, then, is the fact that Pedro wasn’t the first pick to play Joel.

During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, Matthew McConaughey claimed he was approached about playing Joel in the hit series, but turned it down as it “wasn’t for me at the time”.

“I wasn’t really acting at that point,” the Oscar winner explained. “That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life.”

While he conceded that the script was “really good”, and he was “excited” to read it, he ultimately didn’t want to pursue the role any further.

“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,” he said.

“That one succeeded in a real royal fashion. Last Of Us was really good but it wasn’t for me at the time.”

In 2023, The Last Of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin confirmed that Matthew had been approached about a role in the show, but insisted it wasn’t necessarily a “serious” conversation.

Speaking on the same podcast, he claimed: “It was more of just like, ‘Hey, here’s something we can talk about’[-type situation].”

The Last Of Us is expected to return for its third season in 2027.