Will Smith Reveals He Turned Down Major Roles in Two Iconic Films

Will Smith is getting real about two major movie roles he walked away from—and yeah, he still thinks about them. He admits those decisions still hurt, even years later.

During an appearance on KISS XTRA, the Oscar-winning actor shared that he once turned down a role in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 sci-fi hit Inception. “I’ve never said that out loud,” Smith admitted.

“And now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities; they don’t pitch well.” He added that Nolan had personally pitched the film to him, but at the time, Smith “didn’t get it.”

It’s unclear which role he was offered, but “Inception” ultimately starred Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead, with a supporting cast that included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, and Tom Hardy.

Will Smith Reveals Why He Passed on Iconic Sci-Fi Role

This wasn’t the first time Smith passed on a now-iconic sci-fi role. He famously turned down the role of Neo in “The Matrix”, which later went to Keanu Reeves.

“I’m hurt by those two,” Smith said about both The Matrix and Inception. “The Matrix” is one of my beautiful scars.”

In an earlier Instagram video, Smith referenced the moment again, with text reading: “In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time.”

Though some fans believed this meant he might appear in a future Matrix installment, Variety later clarified that wasn’t the case.

Smith Didn’t Connect with the Pitch

In 2019, Smith posted a YouTube video explaining why he turned down the role in “The Matrix”. He said the Wachowskis focused more on their planned directing style than the storyline itself, and the concept didn’t fully connect with him.

That same year, he also revealed he turned down “Django Unchained”. Quentin Tarantino had offered him the lead role, which eventually went to Jamie Foxx. Speaking to GQ, Smith said: “I didn’t want to make a slavery film about vengeance.”

‘Inception’ Became a Modern Sci-Fi Classic

Despite missing out on it, Inception went on to become one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films of the 21st century. The story followed Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Dom Cobb, a professional thief who steals information by entering people’s dreams.

The film took viewers through complex dream layers, mind-bending visuals, and the concept of implanting ideas into the subconscious. It earned eight Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

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