Woody Harrelson Admits He Wanted to Punch Matthew McConaughey During ‘True Detective’ Filming

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are known as one of Hollywood’s closest friendships, but even they have had moments where things got tense.

That reality came out during a recent episode of the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, hosted by Harrelson and Ted Danson. While talking about their time filming HBO’s True Detective, Harrelson admitted that working with McConaughey wasn’t always easy.

The conversation revealed that some of the dark energy seen in the show’s first season wasn’t just acting. According to Harrelson, McConaughey fully committed to his role as Rust Cohle and stayed in character even when cameras weren’t rolling. That decision made things frustrating on set.

“He’s method,” Harrelson said on the podcast while talking to Danson. “When we were shooting, he was Rust Cohle. There [were] so many times I wanted to punch this mothe****** in the face. I’m so pissed at him cause he’s in his character.” The comment was blunt, but Harrelson made it clear it came from exhaustion, not hatred.

Harrelson played Detective Marty Hart, a more social and emotional character. Off camera, he expected the same playful back-and-forth he shared with McConaughey in real life. Instead, he often got silence. McConaughey explained during the same discussion that staying quiet helped him stay focused.

He said he needed to remain “stoic” to stay in the right mental space for the role. One moment during rehearsals stood out to him. “We’re sitting there. We’re about to start shooting, and we were rehearsing,” McConaughey said. “I’m just kind of being stoic Rust Cohle. Woody goes, like, ‘Hey man, I need to talk to you about something.’”

Harrelson was trying to reconnect with their usual rhythm. He explained that their real-life chemistry had always been about back-and-forth energy. “The way you and I work, McConaughey, I hit you the ball, you hit back, I hit it back to you. We volley, we play,” Harrelson recalled saying. “Man, that’s us. It’s dramatic, but it’s also comedy.”

The problem was that True Detective wasn’t built for jokes. The show followed two detectives hunting a serial killer across rural Louisiana over several decades. The tone was heavy, bleak, and slow. Harrelson admitted he worried the show might feel too dark for viewers.

“I remember saying to [McConaughey] before we started filming, I’m like, ‘Dude, people are gonna expect to laugh with us. We gotta throw some jokes in here,’” Harrelson said. McConaughey didn’t agree. “He’s just like, ‘Mhm,’” Harrelson added, noting that his co-star never broke character.

In the end, McConaughey’s approach worked. The first season of True Detective became a massive hit and is still considered one of the best seasons of television ever made. The show won five Emmy Awards and helped define a new phase in McConaughey’s career.

Even with all the praise, Harrelson has no interest in revisiting those characters. He recently told Today that he doesn’t want to risk damaging what they already created. “In fairness, never. No chance,” he said about returning. “Because it turned out great.”

Both actors have stayed busy since then. Harrelson has continued acting in films and TV shows, including HBO’s White House Plumbers and the movie Fly Me to the Moon. He also co-hosts his podcast with Ted Danson and remains active in environmental causes.

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