A Superstar’s Wins—and a Few Painful Misses
Will Smith doesn’t have to be embarrassed about his work. With hits like Bad Boys, Men in Black, and Independence Day, he’s dominated box offices and secured a spot in franchise history. He worked with iconic directors including Michael Mann (Ali), Robert Redford (The Legend of Bagger Vance), Tony Scott (Enemy of the State), and Ang Lee (Gemini Man). Like most Hollywood stars, he’s not immune to notorious disasters—Wild Wild West and After Earth among them.
But as Smith knows, a career is defined not only by what you do, but also what you don’t. His decision to pass on playing Neo in The Matrix is infamous. At the time, Smith reportedly didn’t understand what the Wachowskis envisioned, and instead went with what seemed a safer option—Wild Wild West. That gamble backfired, while Keanu Reeves shot to cinematic legend as Neo.
Smith Admits: Turning Down Inception Still Hurts
Unlike many of his peers, Smith has been candid about his near misses. During an interview on Kiss Xtra, he confirmed a longstanding rumor: he had the chance to star in Christopher Nolan’s Inception—but passed.
I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this publicly, but I’ll say it here, because we’re just sharing. Chris Nolan first brought Inception to me, and I didn’t get it. I never really discussed it openly. Now that I think about it, it’s these movies with parallel realities… They’re not easy to pitch. But it hurts. (…) It hurts too much to talk about it.
Passing up both The Matrix and Inception meant Smith missed two chances to anchor sci-fi films that shaped movie history. Neo became an iconic role for Keanu Reeves across the trilogy and the later Matrix Resurrections. Smith also walked away from the part of Dom Cobb in Inception, the role Leonardo DiCaprio made unforgettable.
And that’s not the whole story. Smith was also in talks for the lead in Tarantino’s Django Unchained before it ultimately went to Jamie Foxx. That’s several huge “what-ifs” in one career.
Inside the Hollywood Near Misses
Smith’s confirmation brings clarity to a story from late 2010, when American outlets reported that Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan offered the lead in Inception to Brad Pitt and Will Smith before Leonardo DiCaprio. As The Hollywood Reporter wrote at the time:
The director offered the script to Brad Pitt but required a response within 48 hours. When Pitt didn’t commit, Nolan turned to Will Smith. It’s not hard to see why two of the world’s biggest stars might hesitate to sign on—especially for a project as complex as Inception. When they passed, Nolan approached Leonardo DiCaprio.
DiCaprio hit it big: Inception became one of his biggest box-office performers, earning over $839 million worldwide (on a reported $160 million budget), winning four Oscars, and earning nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Smith wasn't alone in passing. Kate Winslet reportedly declined the role played by Marion Cotillard, James Franco turned down the part taken by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Evan Rachel Wood missed out on the character ultimately portrayed by Elliot Page.
Fans React: “Doesn’t He Have an Agent?”
Fans were quick to notice Smith’s pattern. “Matrix and now this—doesn’t he have an agent or any advisors?! I just don’t get it,” one joked online. Others remarked on his project choices: “What a lack of instinct. He apparently needs a super straightforward script, like: ‘You’ll be playing opposite your younger self!’ That led to Ang Lee spending millions on a flop.”
Another fan commented, “Except for Bagger Vance and Ali, he pretty much starred in mainstream flicks from the mid-90s until the early 2020s. Maybe sometimes good ones, but formula stuff. He stuck to what was comfortable.”
And some offered tongue-in-cheek advice: “Will, you should grab everything that comes your way! Too late now to be picky. Do you think Dwayne Johnson even understood the pitch for Southland Tales before signing?”
Others summed it up with dry humor: “He turned down Matrix because he didn’t get the project, and then Inception… because he didn’t get that one either! Maybe it’s wise not to overthink things with Will Smith.”
The Django Unchained Saga
Some fans recalled Smith’s reason for passing on Django Unchained. There’s been speculation that Smith turned down the lead, believing Christoph Waltz’s character was the main protagonist because he kills the villain at the end. However, others claim Smith was interested, but wanted Tarantino to revise the script so Django, not Waltz’s character, would kill Calvin Candie. Tarantino refused, and the role went to Jamie Foxx.
So, in Hollywood, sometimes you’re on a winning streak, and sometimes you walk away from Inception and The Matrix because the pitch just doesn’t click. It’s easy to laugh now, but Smith remains a box-office giant—if perhaps with a twinge of regret when Inception pops up on his screen.
