Hollywood star Will Smith was offered a role in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning sci-fi film Inception, but he turned it down as he couldn’t understand the plot, says the actor in a recent interview.
Nolan’s film, released in 2010, features Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. The film revolved around a thief (DiCaprio), who invades targets’ dreams with his team through a chemical-induced shared dream state, so he can steal the information.
In an interview with Kiss Xtra, a British radio station, Will Smith, who still regrets turning down the role of Neo in the 1999 action drama, The Matrix, revealed that he was also offered to star in one of Nolan’s acclaimed films.
“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,” said the Pursuit of Happyness actor.
Inception emerged as a box-office success and went on to gross USD 836 million at its worldwide collection. It also starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Tom Berenger in pivotal roles.
Apart from The Matrix and Inception, Will Smith has also turned down Tarantino’s Django Unchained, which later went to Jamie Foxx. In an interview with a US-based magazine, GQ Magazine, Smith cited his reluctance to make a slavery film focused on vengeance.
On the work front, Smith’s upcoming projects include Fast and Loose from Bad Boys II director Michael Bay.
He will also star in I Am Legend 2, which is a sequel to the 2007 film. The actor will reprise the role of Dr Robert Neville.