Will Smith – ‘The Matrix’
We will fight anyone who criticizes the work of Keanu Reeves’ in The Matrix. Surprisingly, Reeves was actually not the first choice for the role. Will Smith had been initially earmarked for the gig after his success in Men in Black and Independence Day. Smith was at the height of his popularity when the Wachowski brothers approached him for the role of Neo, the film’s protagonist, a computer programmer and cybercriminal who is set out to liberate humans from the Matrix.
However, Smith turned down the job so that he could concentrate on Wild Wild West instead. He said in an interview with Wired that “The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch”. He also said that he might have messed up the role, even the movie. Now, is this not a good idea? No, but Will Smith and Keanu Reeves are both doing pretty well with new films.
Will Smith – The Matrix