Pedro Pascal established himself as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. After playing the lead character in The Last Of Us, the actor is basking in success. Pascal portrayed the role of Joel in the drama series. After the 48-year-old actor won the audience’s hearts as Joel, many fans think no other actor could have played the role better than Pascal.
During a recent interview, the co-creator of the drama series The Last Of Us revealed that Matthew McConaughey was also on the list of potential actors to play the character of Joel.
The Last Of Us creator says Pedro Pascal was unavailable when they were casting for the series
The co-creator of The Last Of Us Craig Mazin was a guest on Josh Horowitz’s podcast Happy Sad Confused. The 52-year-old producer and creator talked about his hit series The Last Us on the podcast. Mazin disclosed a very interesting fact about the drama series. The screenwriter said they knew their Joel was Pedro Pascal but during the initial days of the casting, they were told he was not available. Mazin talked about how they also approached Matthew McConaughey for the role of Joel. The Chernobyl producer said,
“I can’t say that it was like 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 McConaughey’s agent who said, ‘You know, he actually might be available.’”
Mazin further said while talking about McConaughey,
“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.”
However, the producers soon reached an agreement with the Game of Thrones actor, who had been their top choice from the beginning.
Pedro Pascal was worried about disappointing the audience in The Last Of Us
Pascal did work his magic as Joel, but he also admitted to having moments of performance anxiety. The Prospect actor was so eager to work on the project that he responded to the producers right away. While talking about the pressure he felt, the 48-year-old actor said,
“This time around, I was scared. I was so scared. Because there was more of an exposed silhouette, a silhouette of coolness maybe, and an expectation to be met as far as what people’s immersive experience of the story was. And to disappoint them in that regard felt like it would be…I don’t know. You don’t want to let people down, but also nobody’s impervious to disappointing people. I want people to like me.”
The Last Of Us actor’s performance caused a stir online. His portrayal of Joel was adored and praised by the audience. The drama starring the Chilean American actor and Bella Ramsey became one of the hit series of 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
