Movies - TV
True Detective’s Creator Thinks That Fans Missed The Point Of Rust Cohle
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
Rust Cohle, a character played by Matthew McConaughey in “True Detective” season 1, was frequently mischaracterized by fans who misread his nihilistic ramblings.
At a panel during the 2023 Austin Film Festival, Nic Pizzolatto, creator of “True Detective,” disagreed with fan interpretations of Cohle as a nihilist.
Pizzolatto said, “Anytime somebody called Cohle a nihilist, I was always like, 'What do you think a nihilist is?' Because far from nothing meaning anything to Cohle.”
He later mentioned, “Well, if you've ever been in a freshman dorm room, you might hear the same sorts of stuff.”
Cohle is a character who mirrors the human condition. Even popular characters can grapple with feelings of hopelessness, often due to their isolation, fear, or confusion.