Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson Reveal Why ‘Brothers’ Was Almost Very Different

Meaghan Darwish September 23, 2026, 9:59 am

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in 'Brothers' — Apple TV

What To Know

Brothers stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson unpack the true rumor behind their Apple TV comedy.
Here, they open up about playing heightened versions of themselves for TV after working together on True Detective and other projects.

They’ve worked together on more than one project over the years, but for Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, Brothers is all-new territory for the pals.

In the Apple TV comedy, McConaughey and Harrelson play heightened versions of themselves, as seen in the first two installments, which have dropped on the streamer. Over the years, McConaughey and Harrelson have appeared in more than one project together, most recently in Season 1 of HBO‘s True Detective.

But what made playing themselves in a series about a true rumor suggesting the actors are biological brothers the right project? “It was one that we came up with together,” Harrelson tells TV Insider. As fans see in the show, McConaughey’s onscreen mom, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), is the one to tell Woody that she knew his father in a deeper way than just being friends.

Mirroring a conversation that was had in real life, Harrelson adds, “That very true rumor kind of broke things open, and then the idea of playing ourselves, we were thinking to do more like Curb [Your Enthusiasm], where you got a great outline of a plot, and then you improvise off of that.”

Apple TV

Ultimately, that idea was reworked a bit, as Harrelson says, “Luckily. cooler heads prevailed.”

Regarding the event that inspired the series, McConaughey says, “After my mom said it that night, we all joked and thought about it, and he took it more seriously than I have, and obviously, it entertained us and kept us curious for some time.”

'Brothers': Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson Play Themselves in First Trailer

Ultimately, it was determined, McConaughey explains, “We were like, ‘Well, what’s playing out right now is good drama and good comedy. What if we made a show about it?'”

Thankfully for viewers, they did, and the laughs abound as the real-life friends display the true brotherhood they’ve built over the years. Continue to catch the hilarity as Season 1 unfolds on Apple TV, and let us know what you thought of the premiere in the comments section below.

Brothers, Season 1, Wednesdays, Apple TV