Will Smith has had a pretty incredible career, by any metric. He’s received critical acclaim for a variety of films. He’s also become synonymous with the big-budget blockbusters, thanks to iconic summer films like “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.” But even with all that amazing history, there’s still one regret that Smith carries with him to this day — “The Matrix.”
Speaking to a Fox Chicago reporter on the red carpet for his latest action film “Gemini Man,” Smith was asked what he’d say to a younger version of himself if he had the chance. And you might think that he’d maybe want to offer some sage wisdom about happiness and family. Maybe he’d tell his younger self to invest in Facebook and Apple? Nope, he’d reprimand his dumb younger self for saying no to The Wachowskis.
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“I’d go back to the ‘Wild Wild West’ and I would say, ‘Asshole, why didn’t you do “The Matrix?”’” Smith said.
At this point, most film fans are well aware that the role of Neo in the original ‘Matrix’ film was offered to Will Smith, who famously turned it down. He’s previously explained that, at the time, he was riding high on an impressive string of blockbusters and had to choose between ‘Matrix’ and “Wild Wild West.” He decided to turn down the upstart Wachowskis, who only had “Bound” as a reference point for Smith to consider, and instead, went with the obvious choice — a Western based on a TV series from the ‘60s directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
We all know how that turned out.
The reason he was asked this odd question is that “Gemini Man,” Smith’s new film with director Ang Lee features the older, wiser actor facing off against a mid-20s version of himself. And as you might expect, it’s difficult to fight a much stronger, faster clone of yourself.
“Gemini Man” arrives in theaters on October 11.