HBO has another hit on its hands with “The Last Of Us,” with the series breaking all sorts of viewership records for the network earlier this year. And a lot of the show’s critical success comes from its cast, leading man Pedro Pascal in particular. But EW reports that co-showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed he had his eye on another big name to play Joel before Pascal took over the role? Who’d he have in mind? None other than Matthew McConaughey.
READ MORE: ‘The Last Of Us’: Showrunner Craig Mazin Says Post-Apocalyptic Series Won’t Be 6-7 Seasons
Mazin confirmed he talked with McConaughey about the starring role while on the latest episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. But the talks between him and the actor didn’t go on for long. “I did talk to Matthew,” said Mazin, “I can’t say that it was a series [of conversations]. It was more of a, ‘Hey, here’s something to talk about. 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 agent who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available.’”
While on the podcast, Mazin shot down another casting rumor that’s made the rounds about “The Last Of Us.” No, Mazin confirms, he didn’t talk to Mahershala Ali about playing Joel. That rumor comes from Jeffrey Piece, who plays Perry in the HBO series and voiced Joel’s brother Tommy in “The Last Of Us” games.  
Pascal’s Joel stars alongside Lynne Ramsay‘s Ellie in “The Last Of Us,” as a survivor of a worldwide fungal apocalypse tasked with transporting Ellie across the United States rife with raiders, scavengers, and zomboid creatures. Other cast members include Diego Luna, Nick Offerman, Nico Parker, John Hannah, Merle Dandridge, and Christopher Heyerdahl. Given its critical reception and viewership awards, expect “The Last Of Us” to do very well at this year’s Emmy Awards. However, pre-production on Season 2 of the series is on hold due to the WGA writers’ strike, so fans may need to wait a while for the next batch of episodes.
Check out Craig Mazin’s full interview of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast below.