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Will Smith is known for his remarkable performances in Emancipation, Men in Black and The Pursuit of Happyness but he is also known for turning down iconic movies throughout his career. He has rejected films like The Matrix and Django Unchained. Recently, he shocked everyone by revealing that he was offered the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s Inception, but he turned it down because he didn’t understand the plot. Instead, Leonardo DiCaprio ended up headlining the cerebral action thriller, which went on to become one of his biggest hits.

Will Smith shocked his fans during a recent interview with radio station Kiss Xtra by revealing that he turned down Inception. He was quoted by Variety as saying, "“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. 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.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Nolan's first choice for Inception was Brad Pitt. When the actor didn’t commit, the filmmaker approached Will Smith. After he turned down the offer, the role was given to Leonardo DiCaprio.

This is not the first film that became a global sensation after rejecting it. Let's take a look at the movies he has rejected during his career and the reasons behind it.

Smith was also offered the role of Neo in Lana and Lilly Wachowski's The Matrix. The role which was eventually played by Keanu Reeves.

In a 2019 YouTube video, Smith shared why he passed on The Matrix. He revealed that the Wachowski siblings' pitch failed to resonate with him, as it focused more on their directorial vision than the story itself.

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"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," shared Smith as quoted by Variety.

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Another notable mention is Django Unchained, which Quentin Tarantino initially offered to him, but ultimately cast Jamie Foxx in the titular role.

Smith had previously explained to The Hollywood Reporter that his decision to pass on Django Unchained came down to the creative direction of the story.