Matthew McConaughey was contacted about The Last of Us role

After season one of The Last of Us, it is difficult to imagine anyone other than Pedro Pascal playing Joel.

The actor, along with Bella Ramsey playing Ellie, has received critical acclaim for his performance in the HBO epic based on the video game of the same name.

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Mahershali Ali and Matthew McConaughey were both reportedly considered for the role of Joel, but showrunner Craig Mazin has confirmed that only the latter was contacted.

"I actually never talked to Mahershala. I did talk to Matthew," Mazin confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

"I wouldn’t say that it was serious, it was more of just like, 'Hey, here’s something we can talk about.' Initially, Pedro was on our list from the start but we were told that he was unavailable. And then, as we were kinda floundering around a little bit, I got a call from his agent who said, 'You know, he actually might be available.'

"I’m sure there’s a different universe where it’s another actor. 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?"

McConaughey and Ali both starred in the acclaimed television series True Detective, albeit in different seasons.

Bella Ramsey on casting trolls

For the lead characters of Joel and Ellie, hundreds of actors were reportedly considered before Pascal and Ramsey were eventually selected. For Ramsey, in particular, the online trolls were out in full force, criticising the casting decision as the actress does not look exactly like the video game version of Ellie.

Ramsey admits she initially read the scathing comments online, telling the New York Times:

“It’s the first time I’ve ever had a negative reaction to something.

“There would be times I’d find it funny. Then I’d get to the end of a 10-minute scrolling session, put my phone down and realize: Maybe that was a bad idea.”

Ramsey, who has been acting since the age of 11, found major fame with a role in Game of Thrones before appearing in projects like Catherine Called Birdy and His Dark Materials.

The 19-year-old admits that she only now feels comfortable in the role of Ellie, but the feeling may be temporary once the trolls start attacking again.

“It’s only recently that I’ve accepted I am Ellie, and I can do it, and I am a good actor,” she said.

“But this will last for a few weeks and then I’ll think I’m terrible again. That’s just the process.”