When it comes to Hollywood royalty, few names shine as brightly as Will Smith. With an acting career spanning three decades, Smith is still considered one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors. As a leading actor, Smith’s movies have grossed over $10 billion at the global Box Office. From The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to blockbuster hits like Independence Day, Men in Black, and Bad Boys, Smith has long cemented his place as an A-list star.
However, maintaining a top profile in the industry is no easy feat. Even a star of Will Smith’s caliber must know when to say “no” to certain projects. However, not all such decisions turn out right. Whether it was a matter of bad timing/scheduling, creative differences, or simply following gut feelings, Will Smith has had to turn down several film projects/pitches that became major hits. Here’s a look at 7 surprising major movie roles that Will Smith turned down.
1. Boyz N the Hood (1991)
By the end of the 1980s, Will Smith was already a Grammy Award winner. In 1990, he had his big acting break playing a fictionalized version of himself in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As such, when filmmaker John Singleton was looking to make his feature directorial debut, he first sought out Will Smith to play the lead, Tre Styles, in his 1991 coming-of-age hood crime drama Boyz N the Hood. However, Will Smith was already committed to the NBC sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Due to a scheduling conflict, Smith chose to pass on the role of Tre Styles. In his stead, Cuba Gooding Jr. was cast. Gooding was a relatively unknown actor at the time, but his casting proved to be a good fit for the movie and his career. Turning down Boyz N the Hood worked out well for Will Smith, as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air became a pivotal project that launched his acting career. Additionally, Boyz N the Hood was a critical and commercial success, earning a cult classic status. The Library of Congress also selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
2. Rush Hour (1998)
Looking back, it’s hard to think of another Black actor who could have pulled off Detective James Carter’s character like Chris Tucker did. Surprisingly, Tucker wasn’t originally on the list of actors to play the part. Besides Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Wesley Snipes, and Dave Chappelle, who were initially considered for the role, Will Smith was also approached for the role.
By the late 1990s, Smith had already starred in buddy cop films like Bad Boys and Men in Black. While both were successful, he wasn’t too keen on getting into another to avoid being typecast. Although his reason was right and safe at the time, the Rush Hour film trilogy series turned out to be a huge success, grossing $850.8 million collectively at the Box Office.
3. The Matrix (1999)
The most publicized role Will Smith turned down is the 1999 film The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis. Smith’s reason for turning down portraying Neo was simple: he didn’t fully understand the concept of the film at the time. His lack of understanding of the concept of AI, as well as the Wachowskis’ poor pitching, left the A-list star with little to no option. Will Smith opted to star in Barry Sonnenfeld’s steampunk Western Wild Wild West. It is one of Smith’s career-worst decisions. Not only did The Matrix turn out as a Box Office hit, Wild Wild West was a huge flop. However, while it may be a regret for Smith, audiences (and even Smith) admit that Keanu Reeves did justice to Neo.
4. Phone Booth (2002)
One relatively unknown role that Will Smith turned down was Joel Schumacher’s 2002 Phone Booth. Smith was one of several A-list actors considered for the lead role. While it may be hard to imagine Smith playing Stuart “Stu” Shepard, he backed out of the project before it even materialized.
It was Jim Carrey who got close to playing the part and only backed out at the last minute. However, Irish actor Colin Farrell was cast as a last-minute replacement. His performance received special praise, with Phone Booth becoming a critical and commercial success. Will Smith focused on reprising his role in the sequel Men in Black II (2002).
5. Superman Returns (2006)
Believe it or not, Will Smith was initially approached to portray the iconic Superman in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. Although he wasn’t officially listed, Smith was approached early during the film’s development. Unsurprisingly, Smith turned down the lead role because he was concerned about how audiences would react to a Black actor playing Superman.
In interviews, Will Smith explained he didn’t want to deal with the backlash or controversy that could come with reimagining a beloved character like Superman. The role eventually went to Brandon Routh, a relatively unknown actor at the time. Two years later, Will Smith portrayed an original superhero in Peter Berg’s 2008 Hancock movie.
6. Django Unchained (2012)
Not many actors would outrightly walk away from a Quentin Tarantino project. However, when you’re as big and successful as Will Smith, there’s no settling for any role besides the lead. According to Smith, he turned down the role of Django Freeman because he felt the character wasn’t the true lead of the story. In interviews, Smith explained that while he loved the idea of the movie, he ultimately passed because he believed the film’s main character was Dr. King Schultz (portrayed by Christoph Waltz). Smith wasn’t far from the truth as Christoph Waltz was the only one nominated and eventually won an Oscar. While Smith turned it down, Jamie Foxx was eventually cast in the role.
7. A Star Is Born (2018)
Will Smith was initially considered for the male lead in a version of the film that was in development long before the final 2018 version came together. However, creative differences and timing issues played a major role in Will Smith’s decision to pass. Interestingly, when Smith was being considered for the male lead, Jennifer Lopez was also being considered for the female lead.
Eventually, Bradley Cooper took on the role of Jackson Maine while making his feature directorial debut with the film. Cooper starred opposite Lady Gaga, who played the female lead, Ally Campana. While it’s hard to picture what a Smith and Jennifer Lopez A Star Is Born would have been, Cooper and Lady Gaga’s performance was a masterpiece. The 2018 went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Original Song.
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