Matthew McConaughey has explained why he did not take the role of Joel in HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor said the project was strong but that the timing did not work for him, GameSpot reports.
It was really good but it wasn't for me at the time.
McConaughey pointed to the length of the commitment a successful series would demand, saying that "in success, this is something you’ll be doing for years and years and years." He added that during the period he was being considered he "wasn’t really acting," and was concentrating instead on writing and on leadership roles in filmmaking.
Taking the part would have returned him to HBO, where he starred in the first season of the anthology series True Detective alongside Woody Harrelson.
How close it came
The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin has previously described the conversation as exploratory rather than an offer, characterising it as "hey, here’s something we can talk about" rather than a firm plan. Mazin also said that while McConaughey is "an amazing actor" and the result "would’ve been great," it "would’ve been different," and that he prefers the version the production made.
The role went to Pedro Pascal, whose performance drew wide praise. The series, based on Naughty Dog’s game, premiered in January 2023 and was a substantial hit for HBO. A second season followed in 2025, and a third is scheduled for 2027. Bella Ramsey plays Ellie and Kaitlyn Dever plays Abby.
The exchange adds to a small pile of near-miss casting stories around the adaptation, which has been one of the more closely scrutinised video game screen projects of the past few years. McConaughey’s account and Mazin’s line up on the substance: there were conversations, and they did not get as far as an offer.
On the game side, Naughty Dog has confirmed it is working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which has not been shown publicly in some time. Reports of a third mainline The Last of Us game remain unconfirmed by the studio.
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