Woody Harrelson reveals the intense behind-the-scenes tension with Matthew McConaughey during the filming of ‘True Detective,’ shedding light on their contrasting acting methods and how it nearly led to a physical confrontation.
Woody Harrelson recently shared a candid account of the tension that arose between him and longtime friend Matthew McConaughey during the filming of True Detective. The actor revealed that McConaughey’s method acting approach nearly led to a physical altercation.
“He’s method,” Harrelson, 64, said on the Tuesday, January 6, episode of his and Ted Danson‘s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast. “He’s Russ Cohle. When we were shooting [True Detective], he was Russ Cohle. There [were] so many times I wanted to punch this motherf***er in the face. I’m so pissed at him ‘cause he’s in his character.”
The Clash of Acting Methods
Harrelson and McConaughey, 56, have costarred in many projects throughout their respective careers, including the critically acclaimed 2014’s True Detective. In the first season of the HBO anthology, the two actors played Louisiana detectives investigating a serial killer.
McConaughey recalled a moment during rehearsals where Harrelson tried to discuss their acting dynamic. “We’re sitting there. We’re about to start shooting, and we were rehearsing. I’m just kind of being stoic Russ Cohle,’” McConaughey said. “Woody goes, like, ‘Hey man, I need to talk to you about something.’ He goes, ‘The way you and I work, McConaughey, I hit you the ball [and] you hit back, I hit it back to you. We volley [and] we play. … Man, that’s us. It’s dramatic, but it’s also comedy.’”
Harrelson, however, felt that McConaughey’s method acting was hindering their ability to connect on set. “I remember saying to you, before we started filming, like, ‘Dude, you know people are going to expect to laugh with us, we got to throw some jokes in here,’” Harrelson said. “He’s just, like, ‘Mhm.’ I’m waiting for him to say, ‘Yeah, you’re totally right.’ No, he just, ‘Mhm, yeah.’”
The Impact of ‘True Detective’
Despite their differing approaches, McConaughey still considers True Detective his favorite TV project. “Favorite thing to watch,” McConaughey said. “I’m just saying [because of] the enjoyment I got from watching. I didn’t watch [the episodes in advance]. On Sunday night was the first time I saw it with Camila [Alves McConaughey and a] bottle of wine.”
He continued, “I didn’t remember where the episode breaks were, so I was like everyone else, like, ‘Oh, what happens next?’ … I watched it once a week like everyone else and loved it.”
Upcoming Projects
McConaughey and Harrelson are now gearing up to share the screen once more in an upcoming Apple show called Brothers. “I’m now working on, with you, an Apple show called Brothers. I think it’s fair to call it comedy, family … based off our friendship,” McConaughey teased. “When Woody and I do get going, he’s talking about hitting those balls back and forth. It’s, like, ‘Where do I start and where do I end, and where does he start and where does he end?’ That’s muddy waters, man, you’re not sure and you’re on a similar frequency. We’re doing our thing and it can go on and on and on it.”
The series’ title is named after the actors’ respective children believing they are actually brothers. “His kids call me Uncle Matthew, my kids call him Uncle Woody,” McConaughey said. “It’s always been in jest.”
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