Will Smith Reveals Why He Turned Down Neo In 'The Matrix,' And He's 'Not Proud Of It'

Will Smith is one of the highest paid actors in the world.

His list of credits includes films like Independence Day, Men in Black, Ali and Hitch.

But did you know that he could have been Neo in 1999's The Matrix?

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Keanu Reeves in the role, but stranger things have happened.

In a video posted to YouTube, Smith explains why he turned down The Matrix.

The film, directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski, is the work of "geniuses," Smith says.

So why didn't he take the project?

Smith added that there's a "fine line in a pitch meeting between genius and what I experienced in the meeting."

The pitch meeting went something like this:

"So, dude, we're thinking like, imagine you're in a fight and then you, like, jump."

"Imagine if you could stop jumping in the middle of the jump. But then, people could see around you…"

Doesn't sound too exciting, right? 

If the pitch meeting was that dull/odd, then it's no wonder Smith backed out of doing a science fiction film after the successes of Independence Day and Men in Black.

You can check out his video below:

Why I Turned Down The Matrix | STORYTIMEwww.youtube.com

So what film did Smith choose to work on instead of The Matrix?

Well, it ranks up there with Sean Connery picking League of Extraordinary Gentlemen over Lord of the Rings in the list of bad career choices.

Oh, that's right, Wild Wild West, aka the film with the robot spider we:

never saw

or

would rather forget we had.

Wild Wild West (8/10) Movie CLIP - 80 Foot Tarantula (1999) HDwww.youtube.com

Also, yes, Mr. Brandwood...

...you better be the only one.

Smith, to be fair, is not happy with his choice. 

Wild Wild West is now considered an embarrassment, while The Matrix is considered one of the most influential science fiction films of all time.

"I'm not proud of it," Smith tells us.

Good, Will.

You shouldn't be.

But you did us a favor, because Keanu Reeves is a legend thanks to The Matrix.

But at least we'll always have the live-action remake of Aladdin, right?

Uh, jury is still out there.