Matthew McConaughey reveals why he turned down playing Joel in 'Last of Us'
Los Angeles, Aug 14
Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has shared that he turned down playing the main character of Joel in 'The Last of Us'.
The actor has said that the role wasn't for him at the time. He said on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast, "I wasn't really acting at that point. That was when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life. It was really good".
He further mentioned, "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".
Matthew McConaughey is currently on a press tour for his thriller, 'The Rivals of Amziah King'. The film marks his first live-action role since 2019's 'The Gentlemen'.
He said, "I don't know what would have been for me at the time. The first thing I came across was 'Rivals'. This was extremely particular. It's one movie. A series, you do have to consider if you want this to succeed, this is something you'll be doing for years and year and years. Do I want that to be the case in success?".
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson had a 'True Detective' reunion this year, but on Apple TV's series 'Brothers', where they played fictional versions of themselves who find out they might be related.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I respect his honesty. It's refreshing to see an actor admit that a big project isn't the right fit at a certain point in their life. Too many people just take any role for the paycheck. 🙌
"True Detective" was a masterpiece, so I get why he compares everything to that. But 'The Last of Us' is arguably just as good, if not better. It's a shame we'll never see his take on Joel, but Pedro Pascal OWNED that role.
Smart move honestly. A TV series is a huge time commitment, especially when you've got other projects and a family. McConaughey seems very selective about his work, and it shows in his filmography.
I wonder if the time he spent writing and looking at "leadership roles" was worth missing out on a show that won multiple Emmys. But hey, to each their own. His new movie looks interesting too, so no hard feelings. 🎬
It's interesting how actors in Hollywood have the luxury to turn down roles. In our film industry, people would kill for a part like that. But I'm glad he's true to himself. Also, the 'Brothers' reunion with Woody sounds fun! 😄
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