Why True Detective Made Woody Harrelson Rethink Joining White House Plumbers
"True Detective" was an incredible acting showcase for just about every actor who was involved in its jaw-dropping first season. While Matthew McConaughey gave an all-time great performance as the haunted Rust Cohle, Alexandra Daddario strategically took her career to new heights, and Michelle Monaghan remained a compelling force throughout.
However, Woody Harrelson felt like he didn't get the chance to shine nearly as much as his "True Detective" co-star did and was hesitant to take another HBO job in a similar capacity. In fact, writer Peter Hyuck explained to Vulture that Harrelson nearly turned down his starring role in "White House Plumbers" as a result of that experience.
"When we all went up to your house to try and convince you to do the part, you said, 'Look, I did 'True Detective,' and McConaughey got the cool part, the fun part,'" Hyuck recalled Harrelson saying. "'He got to do more crazy s***.'" However, all the same, the actor eventually came around to doing "White House Plumbers," even if he was worried that he would get the wrong end of the stick for a second time.
Harrelson is glad that he accepted his role in White House Plumbers
Woody Harrelson said that what initially drew him to "White House Plumbers" was the strength of the writers behind the HBO limited series. "It was great material right away," he recalled. "I mean, these guys are superlative writers. 'Veep' is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time."
Still, the actor remained somewhat hesitant about joining the writers for their retelling of the events that led up to the infamous Watergate scandal. "You were like, 'It feels like it's gonna happen again. Is Theroux gonna play all the funny s***, and I'm just gonna have to carry the water?'"
Harrelson is referring to his co-star, Justin Theroux, who took on the role of G. Gordon Liddy in "White House Plumbers." For his part, Hyuck was quick to emphasize to Harrelson that he would have plenty of great material to work with as E. Howard Hunt in the series. "I was like, 'No, no. Hunt's equally crazy,'" he recalled saying. "Different crazy. He's got wigs. He speaks Spanish. He's a real eccentric character."
In the end, Harrelson said that while he thinks Theroux ended up getting the better role, he remains pleased that he accepted his part in "White House Plumbers." "He still got the best part," the actor said. "But I'm still quite happy to be in the project."