Casting took place virtually through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Casting director Victoria Thomas wanted to honor the game without being limited by it. Mazin and Thomas sought high-profile guest stars; Thomas said many of the actors "don't usually do one-episode guest spots". On February 10, 2021, Pascal and Ramsey were cast as Joel and Ellie. Earlier that day, it was reported Mahershala Ali was offered the role of Joel after Matthew McConaughey turned it down; The Hollywood Reporter noted Ali "did circle a role" in the show, but a deal was never formed. Any actresses considered for Ellie for the canceled film adaptation—such as Maisie Williams and Kaitlyn Dever—had aged out of consideration by the time the series was in production, resulting in a reset of candidates. The producers primarily sought actors who could embody Joel and Ellie individually as well as imitate their relationship.: 14:42  Though both were previously featured on HBO's Game of Thrones, Pascal and Ramsey had not met before the filming of The Last of Us began but found they had instant chemistry, which developed over the course of production.
Given this paragraph about the Last of Us TV Series, who was not cast in the show?
Matthew McConaughey turned down the role of Joel which was also reportedly offered to and turned down by Mahershala Ali afterwards. Maisie Williams and Kaitlyn Dever were considered for the role of Ellie but aged out of consideration by the time of production.