Should True Detective Reuse Actors?
True Detective’s famously A-list cast could stand to have a few repeats.
True Detective season three is not currently on the horizon, nor or there any real casting rumors going around. True Detective has had a rich cast over its two seasons, and that’s been part of its allure. Talking about who will be in the next season of True Detective has become something of a fun tradition.
There doesn’t, however, always need to be a brand new cast. True Detective shouldn’t rely on the same gimmick as, say, American Horror Story, which frequently places the same actors in different roles. True Detective can bring back actors from past seasons, but not rely so heavy on them.
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Wouldn’t it be fun to see Matthew McConaughey or Colin Farrell appear in a future season of True Detective as someone else? These would preferably be cameos and not major roles. True Detective should avoid comparisons to American Horror Story if possible, as the show should be strong enough to stand on its own.
Matthew McConaughey could just appear as Rust, but something about that doesn’t feel right. That would be too much of a call-back — a bit too much fan service. If True Detective is dead-set on having each season be unique and its own beast, having Rust on just wouldn’t work. Having McConaughey on as a police office with a few lines, or an off-screen role that we hear over a phone, could be fun.
That goes for all of True Detective’s past stars, including Woody Harrelson. Taylor Kitsch ended up being a throwaway character in season two; he had almost no development and his storyline was never fleshed out. Kitsch could appear in a future season of True Detective and most probably wouldn’t bat an eye.
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True Detective has a rich cast to pick from and it doesn’t have to turn into a gimmick or another sort of hook. It just has to be a wink at the fans. It’s too bad that Nic Pizzolatto isn’t exactly known for being playful.