Will Smith Claims He Turned Down ‘Inception’ and Honestly That’s Fine

I remember liking Inception just fine. It didn’t change my life. I wasn’t confused by what was going on. There wasn’t a feeling that I was being talked down to. Plus, it had a wonderful cast, led by Leonardo DiCaprio, who I remember being quite good in the movie. But I was an audience member. It is likely a completely different experience to be told about Inception before it was made. How do you make someone interested in that world without the benefit of a trailer where buildings are folding onto each other? Some may argue that you just… be Christopher Nolan.

Inception was an enormous hit for Nolan, but it’s not like he hadn’t done well already. Memento had already made him a favorite among film nerds (complimentary). He had already worked with the likes of Al Pacino, Gary Oldman, and, oh yeah, Christian Bale. They adapted the 1995 novel The Prestige together. Ya know, right before making a Batman movie that would change the course of superhero movies (and movies in general?) for years to come. Without the unfortunate downside, it seems silly to turn down Nolan at that time, no matter what he said.

Yes, the Caped Crusader we see in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight was pretty recognizable. He didn’t reinvent the wheel with those movies. Instead, he took a classic idea and tried to ground it in realism. Nolan reinvented the character for a new generation, making the kind of change that seems simple but has become foundational. This dark, gritty take on the character has permeated every subsequent adaptation. Also, The Dark Knight made stupid money. So, again, if Christopher Nolan came to you at that time, asking you to star in a film, you should probably say yes because it’s him. That is, unless you are Will Smith.

Smith is no stranger to turning down seemingly career-changing roles. He passed on Neo in The Matrix, something that was probably for the best. Keanu Reeves is perfect for that film, and Smith likely would not have fit the tone at that point in his career. Maybe he would have tried, but the film changing to fit him sounds more likely. Smith also turned down Django Unchained, which feels like much more of a missed opportunity. I think he would have knocked that movie out of the park. Instead, he turned it down. Much like he turned down a certain movie about traversing dreams.

The King Richard actor recently dropped a bomb of a reveal on the British radio network Kiss Xtra. “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,” the actor began. “Chris Nolan brought me Inception first, and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud,” Smith told the host. “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 two (the second being The Matrix).”

You can watch him make the remarks here. I like Will Smith a lot, and it bums me out that the biggest way he can make waves now is to talk about things he didn’t do as opposed to what he’s doing. Yes, some of that is self-inflicted depending on who you ask, but Hollywood turned on the man with a quickness, and that sucks. Regardless, I don’t think Smith would have been right for Inception, so maybe it’s best that he turned it down.