Matthew McConaughey delivers an iconic HBO performance in True Detective season 1 as Rust Cohle - however, fans may be surprised to learn that he originally auditioned for a separate role. During a 2014 interview, the American actor discusses his experience playing the Louisiana State Police homicide detective, and how an epiphany allowed one of his industry peers to join the main cast. True Detective season 1 became a pop culture phenomenon due to McConaughey's interpretation of Rust Cohle, but it turns out that he was originally targeted to play Detective Marty Hart.
By 2014, the "McConaissance" was in full swing, as McConaughey had landed prominent roles in high-profile films like Magic Mike, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Interstellar. He also earned a Best Actor Oscar for his lead performance in Dallas Buyers Club, which was awarded just one week before the True Detective season 1 finale aired. The HBO series displays what fans love most about McConaughey: his charm, his mannerisms, his ability to engage with audiences through character dialogue. True Detective season 1 also shows a different side of the actor, too, as Rust Cohle is indeed a hard-nosed detective - a departure from McConaughey's easy-going characters of the past.
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In a 2014 interview (via WNYC), McConaughey discusses True Detective season 1 and what inspired him to portray Rust Cohle. The actor reveals that he was originally targeted to portray Marty Hart, but then informed HBO that he was much more intrigued by the other detective character after reading the first two episodes. Series creator Nic Pizolatto initially reached out to McConaughey upon being impressed by his lead performance in The Lincoln Lawyer, and then compromised with the actor when he expressed much more interest in the complexities of Rust Cohle. McConaughey offered more insight during a separate 2014 interview (via Variety):
"I wanted to get in that dude’s head... The obsession, the island of a man - I’m always looking for a guy who monologues. It’s something really important as I feel I’m going into my better work.”
During the aforementioned WNYC interview, McConaughey states that he suggested Woody Harrelson to portray Detective Marty Hart. At the time, Harrelson was similarly experiencing a career resurgence, evidenced by roles in Zombieland, Rampart, and The Hunger Games. He reportedly (via Collider) signed on for True Detective based on his prior collaboration with HBO for the 2012 film Game Change, and because of his respect for McConaughey:
"There’s just no finer organization making amazing stuff out there than HBO. It’s a privilege to work with them. The other part of that is just the people involved. I love Matthew. He’s my brother. He’s a phenomenal, amazing person. And I love Michelle [Monaghan]. I’ve known her many, many years. Cary [Fukunaga] is a terrific director. And Nic [Pizzolatto] wrote this phenomenal script that you just couldn’t put down. His writing is so amazing."
McConaughey's decision to star as Rust Cohle ultimately benefitted True Detective season 1, primarily because of his existing friendship with Harrelson - a fellow free spirit. Rather than teaming up for a buddy cop series with light-hearted banter, they instead took on the challenge of portraying polar opposites. Rust Cohle and Marty Hart are connected by their line of work, but are also divided because of their differing personalities. True Detective remains so fascinating because of the characters' respective life journeys, and how they interact with each other 17 years after their initial investigation of Dora Lange's murder. According to McConaughey (via The Hollywood Reporter), the character friction in True Detective season 1 was key to its success:
"Part of why we're friends is we get on each other's frequency and one-up each other... It can go into the ether and then some. But this was something different. This is the first time we've worked together where there's real opposition. Our relationship isn't built on opposition; we work on how [our characters are often] affirmative and how they agree. This was not about us coming together."