After a — let’s face it — relatively abysmal second season last year, many believed that the HBO miniseries True Detective would not be returning for a third. But Matthew McConaughey may help sway that decision in a favorable direction, having indicated interest in reprising his role from the first season during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on DirecTV.
“I miss Rust Cohle, man,” he said during the interview. “I miss watching him on Sunday nights. I miss watching True Detective on Sunday nights.” When asked if he’d ever return, McConaughey says he has talked to Nic Pizzolatto, the series creator, about possibly coming up with a way for that character to return.
The series airs as an anthology, with each season featuring a distinct storyline and set of characters. The inaugural season with McConaughey and Woody Harrelson garnered great reviews, earning seven Emmy nominations and winning four. McConaughey was also nominated for both an Emmy and Golden Globe for the role of Cohle, and won a Critics’ Choice Television Award.
But the follow-up second season, which starred Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Vince Vaughan, was lackluster at best, according to critics. Famed director David Cronenberg even turned down directing the first episode because he thought the script was “bad.” Ouch.
Just last month, it was looking like HBO was hoping for another new series from Pizzolatto for next season instead of one with the words “true” or “detective” in it. But McConaughey’s recent enthusiasm might just breathe new life into the show.
He is completely receptive to going back to the small screen, if the quality is there. “You’re actually getting better-quality dramas on the small screen today than you ever have been. A lot better than you’re getting on the big screen sometimes.
“It would have to be the right context, the right way,” he said of a potential True Detective return. “When I read [the original script], I knew in 20 minutes if I can play this guy, Rustin Cohle, I’m in.” McConaughey reveals that playing the role made him a “happy man … I was on my own island.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean that a new season of True Detective will be made with the actor, or indeed, made at all. But whatever happens, here’s hoping it’s better than last year. Take your time, guys.
