Saturday, 9th December 2023
To guardian.ng
Search
Film  

Will Smith turned down role of Neo in ‘The Matrix’

By Reuters
20 February 2019   |   2:58 pm
The actor says he turned down the iconic role for Wild Wild West, because he wasn't impressed with the film's pitch. 'The Matrix' was hailed by critics at the time as "the most influential action movie of the generation." Smith revealed that he's "not proud" of his decision.

Related

28 Mar 2022
We take a look at how the press is reacting to Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock live on television at the Academy Awards. We also delve into newspapers’ reactions to Joe Biden's comment that Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". Plus, with less than two weeks to go until the French presidential election, we discuss how voter apathy could shift the outcome of the first round.
28 Mar 2022
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face on stage at the Oscars after the comic made a joke about the actor's wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
28 Mar 2022
The Oscar winner's slapping of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards has triggered heated debate on social media. Almost everyone agrees, however, that violence is no answer to a poor joke.
30 Mar 2022
The 94th Academy Awards aimed to boost the ceremony's increasingly dismal ratings, but this year's Oscars went more viral than they bargained for. Just minutes before Will Smith won best actor for "King Richard", he walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after the latter made a bad joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia.
1 Apr 2022
In this edition of Encore!, we report on legendary US actor Bruce Willis's retirement because of his aphasia, a language disorder that robs people of their ability to communicate. The 67-year-old is perhaps best known for his role as New York cop John McClane in the "Die Hard" movies. We also take a trip to the 1920s to discover a new exhibition exploring an extraordinary generation of female artists. Plus, we bring you a report about women on the French rap scene.
10 Apr 2022
The US actor has been barred from attending the glamorous Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles for 10 years after hitting comedian Chris Rock.
14 Apr 2022
Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty on Wednesday (April 13) to a misdemeanor count of forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018, as part of an agreement with prosecutors that spares the Oscar-winning actor any immediate jail time.
6 May 2022
Will Smith is planning to practice yoga and meditation, according to an insider.
8 Sep 2022
Actor and director Jesse Eisenberg speaks to Eve Jackson at the Deauville American Film Festival, where he is presenting his first film as a director. "When You Finish Saving the World" stars Oscar winner Julianne Moore and "Stranger Things" actor Finn Wolfhard and centres on a clash between a mother and her son.
24 Oct 2022
Since the start of the Ukraine war, there have been repeated false claims on social media that the entire conflict is being staged. France 24’s fact-checking team debunk the latest example: two videos that show a man in Ukrainian army uniform being filmed, as he appears to act out a scene on the battlefield.
2 Nov 2022
The Bollywood icon, who turns 57 on November 2, has a vast Indian and global fanbase. DW's Brenda Haas finds that his charm both onscreen and off plays a big role.
28 Nov 2022
Will Smith missed "surprising" fans who had just seen a preview of his new movie 'Emancipation' after testing positive for COVID-19.