Matthew McConaughey has revealed what it would take for him to return to the TV show True Detective.
The Oscar winner appeared in the first season of the crime anthology, playing Rust Cohle, a homicide detective for the Louisiana State Police, whose complex outlook on life sees him clash with his straitlaced partner Marty Hart, portrayed by Woody Harrelson.
His performance was critically lauded and considered a part of ‘The McConaissance’, a period between 2011 and 2014 where the actor gave a series of performances that established him as a dramatic lead after years of appearing in comedies.
The nature of True Detective means that characters are not revisited, with each season following different characters in different cities. Jodie Foster, who recently won an Emmy for her performance in True Detective: Night Country, confirmed that the role was a “one and done” situation where she would not be coming back.
However, during an interview with Variety to promote the film The Lost Bus, McConaughey revealed what it would take for him to reprise the role. “We nailed that first season,” he said. “But if it’s a script like that first one, with that fire and originality, I’d do it. And you talk about monologues. Well, Rust Cohle had a monologue. He talked about everything that was inside him, and he didn’t care if you were listening or not. There’s freedom in that.”
He was also full of praise for Nicolas Cage, who reportedly is in talks to lead the fifth season of the show, set in the Jamaica Bay area of New York City. “He’s a great actor,” McConaughey enthused, “and I’d like to see him in that world.”
Recently, he was also positive about Foster’s performance. “I watched, I saw it. Yeah, there’s a lot about it that I appreciated,” he said, although he added his season is still his favourite.