Will Smith

The Matrix and its sequels all star Keanu Reeves as the lead character Neo aka The One. The role launched the actor into stratospheric success and became Reeves ...

Thus, putting Will Smith in The Matrix would have turned the film into another starring vehicle for Smith, which in turn would have negatively affected the world that the Wachowskis were trying to build for their film. For his part, Will Smith continued to be a part of acclaimed sci-fi movies like I, Robot in 2004 and 2007's I Am Legend. When Smith was told about the ambitious world the Wachowskis were imagining for their movie, the actor had a hard time wrapping his head around their plans. While Will Smith has one of the best comic timings of any A-list Hollywood star, trying to make Neo a jokey character would have been a massive misfire. The back-to-back hits from 1996 and 1997 proved that global audiences were eager to watch Smith in sci-fi settings as a leading man. Will Smith had already established himself as a star both on television with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air series and on the big screen with the success of 1995's Bad Boys.