The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin revealed the post-apocalyptic series considered someone other than Pedro Pascal to play Joel Miller, as Matthew McConaughey was in line to play the middle-aged survivor.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Mazin revealed there were discussions about McConaughey being cast in one of The Last of Us' leading roles, with the Oscar-winning actor showing interest. McConaughey was brought up as a potential fit to play Joel as Pascal was unavailable initially due to scheduling conflicts. "I can’t say that it was like a series [of conversations]. It was more of a, 'Hey, here's something to talk about,'" Mazin said. "Pedro was on our list from the start. We were told he was unavailable, and then as we were floundering about a little bit, I got a call from his [McConaughey's] agent who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available.'"
Eventually, Pascal agreed to play Joel when he viewed The Last of Us' script while filming a movie in England. "Normally when you send scripts to actors like this, you're lucky if you get a read within a month. I sent it [script] on a Friday, Saturday morning I get a call... he loves it, he wants to get on a Zoom," he said, with the subsequent meeting setting things in motion for Pascal to join the cast. As for McConaughey, Mazin praised the actor but admits it would have been "different" if he played Joel instead of Pascal. "Matthew McConaughey is an amazing actor. I'm sure it would have been great but it would have been different, and I like the one that we made, so what can I say, I think it worked out," he said.
The Last of Us' Future
Also known for his lead role in Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Pascal has been a revelation in The Last of Us, HBO's live-action adaptation of the acclaimed Naughty Dog video game series. Pascal's character is a hardened middle-aged survivor facing battles with past trauma while tasked with smuggling Ellie (Bella Ramsey) through a quarantine zone and across the U.S. border due to her immunity from the dreaded Cordyceps infection. Accepting the part shifted Pascal's long-term career plans after the script convinced him to join, with the actor eager to work alongside Ramsey and Mazin after seeing the show's concept play out. Meanwhile, McConaughey, whose most prominent TV role was in HBO's crime drama series, True Detective, is set to star in a yet-to-be-titled Yellowstone spinoff series, as confirmed this past April.
Pascal will reprise his role for Season 2 of The Last of Us, though whether his character or the show lasts past this season are unknown. If The Last of Us stays true to the eponymous sequel video game it will adapt in Season 2, Joel could be killed off, though Pascal recently said the upcoming season has more creative leeway than the game. The Last of Us may also end with Season 2 as HBO executive Francesca Orsi cast doubt over its future, despite being one of HBO's most successful original series ever.
Season 2 of The Last of Us won't hit screens anytime soon, with production affected due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, potentially delaying the series' scheduled 2025 premiere window. The strike caused the show to audition actors using scenes from the titular video game.
Fans can stream Season 1 of The Last of Us on Max.
Source: YouTube, via The Hollywood Reporter