Will Smith was offered this cult movie by Christopher Nolan, actor didn’t ‘get’ the script

Inception is considered one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best films. Helmed by Christopher Nolan, the film has attained cult status over the years. But did you know that Leo was not the first choice for the film? Will Smith was initially approached for the lead role but the actor declined the offer because he didn’t ‘get it.’

Will looks back at the Inception offer

During an interview with UK radio station Kiss, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that filmmaker Christopher Nolan initially approached him to star in Inception. The 2010 sci-fi blockbuster is considered one of the director's most acclaimed works.

He confessed when the host asked if he turned down Matrix, following which Will laughed and said, “That was one of my beautiful scars”.

“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,” he added.

According to reports, Nolan also offered the script to Brad Pitt and “requested a response within 48 hours”. When the star didn’t commit, Nolan moved on to Will Smith. When things didn’t fall in place, the filmmaker moved on to Leonardo DiCaprio.

During the interview, Will Smith admitted that he regrets passing on the films, which have become iconic, saying, “It hurts too bad to talk about.”

Will Smith had turned down role in The Matrix

Back in 2019, Will Smith had revealed the reason behind saying no to The Matrix. He shared that the main reason was that he didn’t connect to the Wachowski siblings’ pitch, which he said was more about their intended directing style and not about the actual story. Will Smith also turned down Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino offered to him before ultimately going with Jamie Foxx in the title role. Smith told GQ magazine that he “didn’t want to make a slavery film about vengeance,” so he turned Tarantino down.

About Inception

Released in 2010, Inception is considered one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. The film featured Leonardo DiCaprio as Dominic Cobb, a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious, or dreams, of a person. It also features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Elliot Page.