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Key Points

Will Smith admits he turned down the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception because he couldn’t grasp the plot. Leonardo DiCaprio eventually took the part, leading the film to a massive $839 million box office success. Smith also reflects on rejecting Neo in The Matrix, a role that went to Keanu Reeves. The actor has a history of passing on major films, including Django Unchained, which later starred Jamie Foxx.

Key Points: Will Smith Turned Down Inception Role Over Plot Confusion

  • Smith passed on Inception due to plot confusion
  • DiCaprio starred in the $839M blockbuster instead
  • Smith also regrets rejecting The Matrix role
  • Brad Pitt was Nolan’s first choice for Inception
2 min read

Will Smith reveals why he turned down Christopher Nolan's 'Inception'

Will Smith reveals he rejected Christopher Nolan's Inception due to not understanding the plot, later played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the $839M hit.

"Chris Nolan brought me ‘Inception’ first and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud. – Will Smith"

Los Angeles, June 16

Star Will Smith took everyone by surprise by sharing that he turned down the lead role of filmmaker Christopher Nolan‘s “Inception” because he didn’t “understand the plot”.

Smith shared the anecdote during a recent interview with radio station Kiss Xtra (via HuffPost). Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio ended up headlining the cerebral action thriller instead, reports variety.com.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said it publicly but I am going to say it because we are opening up to one another,” Smith said.

He added: “Chris Nolan brought me ‘Inception’ first and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud. Now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities… they don’t pitch well. But I am hurt by those, too.”

Nolan’s blockbuster opened in theaters and went on to gross $839 million at the worldwide box office.

Sources revealed at the time that Brad Pitt was actually Nolan’s first choice but he did not commit to the project. Smith was up next, now revealing he didn’t understand the plot. DiCaprio signed on after and ended up with one of his biggest hit movies.

While Smith knows rejecting “Inception” was a career blunder, it wasn’t as painful in retrospect as his decision to turn down Neo in “The Matrix.” The part went to Keanu Reeves, which gave him an iconic action franchise.

Smith said during the radio interview: “It hurts too bad to talk about.”

Smith posted a YouTube video in 2019 explaining why he turned down “The Matrix.”

The main reason was because he didn’t connect to the Wachowski siblings’ pitch, which he said was more about their intended directing style and not about the actual story.

Smith re-told the pitch as follows: “We’re thinking like… imagine you’re in a fight. You, like, jump. Imagine if you could stop jumping in the middle of the jump. But then, people could see around you 360 degrees while you stop jumping. We’re going to invent these cameras and then people can see the whole jump when you stop in the middle of the jump.”

Then there was “Django Unchained,” which Quentin Tarantino offered to him before ultimately going with Jamie Foxx in the title role.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Honestly, Will Smith dodged a bullet with Inception. That movie gave me headache trying to understand the plot! 😅 Leo did great but I still don't get what was real and what was dream. Maybe Will was smarter than we thought!
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Priya M.
It's refreshing to see a big star admit they didn't understand something. In Bollywood, our stars would never say this! But imagine Will Smith in Matrix instead of Keanu... that would have been totally different. Some roles are just meant for certain actors.
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Arjun S.
Will Smith rejecting Matrix and Inception shows even top stars make bad career choices. But he still had great movies like Pursuit of Happyness. Maybe Indian actors should learn - it's okay to say no if you don't connect with a script.
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Sneha R.
Christopher Nolan movies are too complicated for mass audiences anyway. In India, we prefer simpler stories with emotions. But Hollywood keeps making these confusing films and calling them "intellectual". Give me a good SRK romance any day! ❤️
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Vikram J.
Interesting how even A-list actors struggle with complex scripts. Makes me wonder - do our Indian filmmakers explain scripts properly to stars? Or do they just sign big names without proper narration? Food for thought for our industry.

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