Matthew McConaughey reveals surprising blockbuster TV role he turned down

By Sean O'Grady, Press Association Deputy Entertainment Editor

Matthew McConaughey has revealed he turned down Pedro Pascal’s role in The Last Of Us.

The Interstellar star said he seriously considered accepting the part of Joel Miller in the post-apocalyptic series but he “wasn’t really acting” at the time.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said: “I think that’s part of when I was doing more writing and looking at leadership roles in life and stuff.”

He added that the script “was really good, (I was) excited about it.

“I’m not a huge TV watcher, but 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. And that one succeeded in a real royal fashion.

“The Last Of Us was really good. It just wasn’t for me, at the time. I don’t know what would have been for me at the time.”

The Last Of Us showrunner Craig Mazin previously revealed on the same podcast that he spoke to McConaughey about the role of Joel, but it was not a “serious” conversation.

He said: “It was more like a ‘Hey, here’s something to talk about.’

“Initially, Pedro was on our list from the start. We were told that he was unavailable.

“And then, as we were floundering about a little bit, I got a call from his agent, who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available.’”

Mazin sent the script to Pascal on a Friday and he got a call on Saturday morning saying the actor was interested in the part.

Mazin added: “I’m sure there’s an alternate universe where it’s different, and look, 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.”

The Last Of Us, based on the video game franchise of the same name, is set decades after society has collapsed due to a fungal infection that turns its hosts into zombie-like creatures.