Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Digital Cover entertainment

Matthew McConaughey or Pedro Pascal: Why ‘The Last of Us’ creator considered him first

It was rumored that Mahershala Ali was considered, but the creator confirmed that he was not in talks with him for the show.


Daniel Neira
Daniel Neira - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
JUNE 28, 2023 3:02 PM EDT

There is no doubt that Pedro Pascal gained incredible success following his role in HBO’s popular show ‘The Last of Us.’ And while the Chilean star seems to be the perfect actor for the role, the creator of the series has revealed that there were other actors considered before Pedro was chosen.

During a recent conversation on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, creator Craig Mazin revealed that one of the biggest names on the list was Matthew McConaughey. “I did talk to Matthew. I can’t say that it was a series [of conversations]. It was more of a, ‘Hey, here’s something to talk about,’“ he explained.

2023 Mack, Jack & McConaughey   Jack Ingram & Friends© GettyImages

“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,’” Mazin explained.

The Last of Us – FYC Event© GettyImages

It was also rumored that Mahershala Ali was considered for the part, however, the creator confirmed that he was not in talks with him for the show. The HBO series has definitely impacted pop culture and will be coming to life at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal this year.

Pedro recently talked about what it feels like to be a role model among a young generation of Latinos. “I want to be able to fulfill the assignment and continue to fulfill the assignment,” the actor said to Variety. “It’s the best part. It’s not necessarily about getting an ‘A’ but understanding someone’s vision and being a scene partner for somebody. If it comes to inspiring somebody else… maybe that’s the component I’m unwilling to recognize. It can make my heart explode a little bit.”