Will Smith Hilariously Explains Why He Turned Down THE MATRIX To Make WILD WILD WEST

Will Smith Hilariously Explains Why He Turned Down THE MATRIX To Make WILD WILD WEST

In a resurfaced video from Will Smith's YouTube channel, the Bad Boys For Life star recalls turning down the lead role of Neo in The Matrix thanks to a dreadful pitch from The Wachowskis.

By MarkCassidy - Aug 20, 2021 03:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Matrix

It's common knowledge that Will Smith was offered the role of Neo in The Matrix before Keanu Reeves landed the part, but the Bad Boys For Life star has now explained why he turned down the gig in a very funny clip from a resurfaced YouTube video.

In the video, which was first posted in 2019, Smith recalls a disastrous pitch meeting with directors Lana (then known as Larry) and Lilly (then known as Andy) Wachowski. Though the actor does refer to the pair as "geniuses," their pitch didn't exactly blow him away, and he decided to make notorious flop Wild Wild West instead.

Check out the video below.

Probably not his best career move, but as Smith acknowledges, The Matrix would have been a very different movie if he'd accepted the role. For one, Val Kilmer was being looked at for Morpheus and likely would have secured the part over Laurence Fishburne if Smith had signed on.

The Wachowskis recently returned to helm the still untitled fourth Matrix movie, which (as far as we know) is still scheduled to release this December. A first look should be with us very soon, so keep an eye out.

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TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/20/2021, 3:59 AM
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 8/20/2021, 4:06 AM
What no type out
Canon108
Canon108 - 8/20/2021, 4:11 AM
This guy has made as many if not more bad career decisions compared to good career moves...from passing on Matrix to do Wild Wild West, to passing on Django Unchained to do After Eartg...he's one dud away from Nick Cage status, imo.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 8/20/2021, 4:21 AM
@Canon108 - Let's not forget him using his name to get his son into movies like Karate Kid. Ugh...
bobevanz
bobevanz - 8/20/2021, 4:31 AM
Dude needed a new agent 20 years ago lol, same with Michael Fassbender. There's talent in there, but it's not being used to the max. Wild Wild West was awesome when I was a kid lol mostly because Burger King had the gadgets from the movie, damn that movie is bad though on rewatch haha
CurlyBill
CurlyBill - 8/20/2021, 4:39 AM
Wild wild west is not a good movie, but I'll be damned if young me didn't enjoy the hell out of it. As a kid I loved the steampunk aspect of it and the back and forth that Kline and Smith had, also Kenneth Barangh gives a master class in hamming it up as Dr. Loveless (I'm not kidding it might be one of his best performances). Wild wild west is a perfect example of a bad film that's still entertaining.
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 8/20/2021, 4:48 AM
"Say, say that again"?😂🤣
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 8/20/2021, 4:54 AM
lol! that was hilarious!!
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 8/20/2021, 4:58 AM
I don't understood the hate for Wild Wild West. It's exactly what it's trying to be. Western Men in Black. This movie by design is meant to be be campy, over the top and a love letter to this type of genre. Its a western, buddy cop, action, comedy, Sci fi, spy, thriller, steam punk, period piece, early 2000s dark and gritty Underworld style film. It's the perfect balance of taking everything absolutely seriously while not taking itself seriously. Anything that casts Kenneth Branagh as it's lead villain and demands of him absolute over the top gold, I'm on board. Smith, Kline and Hayek had impeccable chemistry and you can tell everyone is having fun.

I consider it a perfect film in that it 100% knows what it was going for. Barry Sonnenfeld of Addams Family and Men In Black fame doing exactly what he does. This movie is yum yum, so so good to me. It shouldn't work, but it absolutely does. I personally love it.
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