Photo: HBO
Call it a hail mary, but Matthew McConaughey says he ‘misses Rust Cohle’ and would be open to another run on HBO’s True Detective.
Sometimes these are the worst stories to report on, because often, while actors are making the rounds promoting whatever film they’re appearing in, they’re cornered into answering questions about past projects.
Case in point, Matthew McConaughey made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday to promote the release of Free State of Jones, and eventually, the conversation went to one of his most famous roles, that of burned out ex-cop Rust Cohle, from the critically-acclaimed first season of True Detective.
Instead of giving the usual lip-service, McConaughey said something very interesting, and slightly unexpected:
He told Eisen that not only was he interested in a return to the character…he’s talked to (show creator) Nic Pizzolatto about a possible return.
Of course this was all predicated on whether or not the right script came along, and all those other things that people say when there’s no real news to give while under the spotlight.
And there’s that little thing about the second season of True Detective being so poorly received that there’s a good chance there will not be a third season at all.
That said, if HBO knew for sure that McConaughey was actually interested in reprising Cohle, there’s little doubt that it wouldn’t happen come hell or high water. To be honest, even the possibility is great news, even if it flies in the face of the original concept of the series, which was always meant to feature a new story each season with new characters and crimes.
However, that edict was set before the first season aired, and no one could’ve known that what McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Pizzolatto and director Cary Fukunaga put together would be regarded as an instant classic, so much so that a season two with only Pizzolatto around and a new cast including Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams would be unable to escape the shadow of what came before.
If HBO can convince Pizzolatto to bring the band back together, viewers could be in for something special, but for now, it’s little more than a pipe dream trapped in a flat circle.
Hashim R. Hathaway (Uncle Shimbo) is the host of the Never Daunted Radio Network, and proud father to NeverDaunted.Net. You can reach him on Twitter @NeverDauntedNet