“Will Smith’s Regret: Why He Turned Down Iconic Sci-Fi Thriller Roles”

If offered another alternate reality sci-fi thriller film, Will Smith should seriously consider accepting it. After openly admitting to previously turning down roles in The Matrix and now, Inception, which respectively starred Keanu Reeves and Leonardo DiCaprio, he should give this genre another look. The major success of these films might make him think twice in the future.

– Will Smith admitted in a radio interview that he had turned down lead roles in significant sci-fi films ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Inception’, roles which eventually went to Keanu Reeves and Leonardo DiCaprio respectively.
– Smith explained that he finds movies about alternate realities difficult to understand when pitched, leading to his refusal of these roles.
– Despite regrets, Smith acknowledges that the casting in ‘The Matrix’ turned out perfect without him, even speculating that his involvement could have potentially ruined the iconic film.

The next occasion that a script for a science fiction thriller involving a different reality is presented to Will Smith, he might want to think about simply accepting the offer.

Previously, Smith revealed that he had declined The Matrix, a role which later went to Keanu Reeves.

He also confirmed recently, that he rejected the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s film, Inception, which eventually starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

Smith disclosed this information publically during a radio interview with KISS XTRA, with a hint of self-deprecation. Smith confessed that he didn’t understand the complexity of Inception when Nolan first offered the role to him. He admitted it’s the films involving alternate realities that are hard to grasp in pitch meetings. Smith confessed that these missteps do cause him some regret.

It is understandable why Smith, known for his performance in Independence Day, rejected The Matrix in 1999, as the Wachowskis, the writers-directors, were not famous at the time. But his decision to refuse Inception in 2010, especially when Nolan was riding high after The Dark Knight, seems quite perplexing. Smith was not the only A-list actor to decline the role, very likely due to Nolan’s demand for immediate casting commitment.

Brad Pitt was the first to receive Nolan’s unique script for Inception, involving a new type of corporate espionage where ideas are planted in people’s dreams. However, Pitt didn’t commit within the stipulated 48-hour timeframe. Nolan then moved on to Smith, and after Smith declined, the script went to DiCaprio, who accepted it.

Industry executives noted that high-profile stars are not accustomed to such swift decisions, generally waiting for over a year to commit to a film.

Inception was well received around the globe and made over $800 million in ticket sales. Nolan, an Oscar-winning director, can likely convince top actors to be a part of his projects, even without revealing the script.

Regarding The Matrix, Smith shared his memory of the pitch meeting for that film in detail. He even performed a parody of the character Neo in a music video for “Beautiful Scars”.

On a YouTube video from five years back, Smith expressed regret at turning down the role of Neo in The Matrix. Following the success of Men in Black, he was approached by the Wachowskis who had only one film to their credit at the time. The pitch for The Matrix did not impress Smith, but he now acknowledges that the Wachowskis are brilliant filmmakers.

Playing on his sense of humor, Smith imitated the Wachowskis in that video, enthusiastically describing the groundbreaking action sequences in the film, but failing to explain the plot or the character.

Instead of The Matrix, Smith chose to star in Wild Wild West, a film often cited as one of his biggest failures. He accepted that Keanu Reeves was the perfect choice for the role and stated, had he accepted, the character Morpheus would have been portrayed by a different actor as they were considering Val Kilmer for that role. Smith believes that would have negatively impacted the film. He jokingly concluded that he actually did everyone a favor by turning down The Matrix.

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