Woody Harrelson, 64, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the 2014 first season of HBO's True Detective, has firmly ruled out returning to the series. He starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the Louisiana-set crime drama.
Recently, the show's creator Nic Pizzolatto mentioned ideas for a new season featuring both Harrelson and McConaughey. On the “Today” show, host Dylan Dreyer asked Harrelson if he would consider reprising his role of Detective Marty Hart, especially since McConaughey expressed interest.
"Matthew’s so funny," Harrelson responded. "Not a chance."
Harrelson values the quality and legacy of the original season and fears a new installment might diminish that.
"I love that it turned out the way it did. If anything, doing another season would, I think, tarnish that."
The debut season focused on Detectives Marty Hart and Rust Cohle investigating crimes in Louisiana. The series won five Emmy Awards, with both Harrelson and McConaughey receiving nominations for their performances.
In May, Nic Pizzolatto expressed openness to bringing back the original stars for another chapter, showing continuing interest in the franchise's future.
Summary: Woody Harrelson confidently declines the chance to return to True Detective, preferring to preserve the original season's acclaimed quality and legacy.