Actors turn down roles in Hollywood all the time. It’s part of the business. But it’s always fun to look at the “what if’s” out there. One of the more famous stories of an actor turning down a big role is when Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix. At the time it wasn’t even a bad decision and the move seemed super risky. Even Keanu Reeves himself had doubts about the role. But hearing it from Smith’s mouth makes perfect sense today. Here’s what Smith said about turning down the role.
You know, The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it. I watched Keanu’s performance – and rarely do I say this – but I would have messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story and don’t try to perform every moment.
Still though, what if Will Smith did star in the Matrix? Luckily with the power of Youtube we have a video that turns The Matrix into a trailer starring none other than Will Smith. Check it out below:
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