Even an actor as big and successful asWill Smithoften regrets the roles that got away. In his case, though, Smith has notoriously turned down some of the biggest roles in cinema history. Fans already knew that he was nearly Neo inThe Matrix, but the actor recently opened up about another gigantic movie that he was offered the leading role in. Using the magical powers of hindsight, Smith has opened up about his feelings about turning down the role over 15 years later. Not only did Smith turn down one of the most iconic movies in modern cinema, but he also shot down a chance to work with one of the most beloved directors of this generation, Christopher Nolan, on his 2010 sci-fi epic,Inception.
During a recent appearance on the British radio channel Kiss Xtra (via @ArtOfDialogue_ on X), Will Smith said that he was the frontrunner to lead Christopher Nolan’sInception. The actor began by confirming the story about turning downThe Matrixin favor ofWild Wild West,which he calls “one of my beautiful scars.” When asked if there are any other roles that he regrets turning down, Smith opened up:
“It hurts too bad. I don’t think I’ve ever even said it publicly before, and I’m gonna say it now because we’re opening up to one another. Chris Nolan brought meInceptionfirst, and I didn’t get it!”
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Aftergetting hisInceptionregrets off his chest,Will Smith attempted to find some common ground between both projects and why they weren’t for him at the time. “Now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities. They don’t pitch well. But I’m hurt by those two.”
The Three Major Movies Will Smith Turned Down
Will Smith turning downThe Matrixhas become such a popular story that the actor even addressed it in 2019 on his YouTube channel. Smith said that he didn’t connect with The Wachowski’s pitch, believing that their directing style didn’t emphasize the overall story.
The revelation that he also turned downInceptionis the third major blockbuster that Smith regrets rejecting. Although, the other incident takes him away from the mind-bending alternate realities of sci-fi and, ironically, to the wild, wild west. As the legend goes, Will Smith was offered the leading role in Quentin Tarantino’sDjango: Unchained. Smith reportedly rejected the role because he preferred the film to emphasize the love story between Django and Broomhilda, rather than Django’s mission for revenge.
As fun as it is to think about Will Smith in the three roles, it’s hard to imagine anyone else but Keanu Reeves as Neo inThe Matrix, Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb inInception, and Jamie Foxx as Django inDjango: Unchained.
Source:Kiss Xtra (via @ArtOfDialogue_)
