In HBO's hit game adaptation series The Last of Us, Joel is played by Pedro Pascal. However, he was not the only candidate for the role.
Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey revealed on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast why he didn't play Joel in The Last of Us. McConaughey stated that The Last of Us "is indeed great, but it wasn't right for me at the time."
He also added that signing on for The Last of Us would mean committing several years of his life to it.
He said, "Once you succeed, you have to devote many, many years to it." When considering whether to star in The Last of Us, Matthew McConaughey stated that he "wasn't really committed to acting" at the time, instead focusing more on writing and leadership roles in filmmaking.
This would have marked Matthew McConaughey's second collaboration with HBO, as he previously starred in True Detective. True Detective is an anthology series, and McConaughey only appeared in the first season, alongside Woody Harrelson.
Previously, The Last of Us series showrunner and writer Craig Mazin stated that he had spoken with Matthew McConaughey about playing Joel, but it was more of a "hey, we can talk about this" rather than a confirmation that it would happen.
"You know, Matthew McConaughey is a great actor. I'm sure it would have been amazing if he had played the role, but it would have been a different style. I prefer the version we ultimately filmed."
The first season of The Last of Us was released in January 2023 and was a huge success. The second season launched in 2025, with the third season scheduled for release in 2027. In addition to Pascal as Joel, the series stars Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.
As for the game series, there are rumors that Naughty Dog.exe is developing The Last of Us Part III, but this has not yet been confirmed.