Matthew McConaughey almost played Joel in 'The Last of Us'
What's the story
Actor Matthew McConaughey has confirmed that he was once considered for the role of Joel Miller in HBO's The Last of Us. Despite deliberating on it, he ultimately turned down the opportunity. The actor revealed this during a recent podcast appearance on Happy Sad Confused, where he also spoke about his ongoing earnings from the 2003 romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Role rejection
Why McConaughey turned down the role
Despite his previous successful collaboration with HBO on True Detective, McConaughey chose not to take on The Last of Us.
He explained, "A series, you do have to consider. I do consider, well, you want this to succeed. Well, in success this is something you'll be doing for years and years and years."
"It wasn't for me at the time," he added about the role.
"I wasn't really acting at that point," McConaughey added.
Career highlights
Role that became one of Pascal's most prominent television performances
Pedro Pascal eventually took on the role of Joel, which became one of his most prominent television performances. The story followed Joel's journey with Ellie through a post-apocalyptic United States.
Series co-creator Craig Mazin had earlier confirmed McConaughey had been approached, but maintained that he liked how things turned out ultimately.
Meanwhile, McConaughey continues to earn money from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days through residual payments more than two decades after its release.