Will Smith has explained why he declined the lead role in The Matrix, a decision he has long regretted. The role of Neo eventually went to Keanu Reeves, but Smith's refusal remains a notable 'what if' in Hollywood history.
In a recent video, Smith recounted the casting process and admitted he did not share the Wachowskis' vision for the film. The directors, who had only made Bound before, pitched the concept to Smith after he starred in Men in Black.
Smith jokingly recalled their description of the now-iconic bullet-time effect: '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.' He added, 'As it turns out, they’re geniuses! But there’s a fine line in a pitch meeting between genius and what I experienced in the meeting.'
After turning down The Matrix, Smith went on to star in Wild Wild West, which became one of the biggest flops of his career. He humbly acknowledged that The Matrix was probably better off without him.
