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re: Will Smith has turned down some really big roles

Posted on 6/17/25 at 8:04 am to
Posted by Roaad
White Privilege Broker
Member since Aug 2006
82202 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 8:04 am to
quote:

Confirmation that he is gay
I like to think that "Pursuit of Happiness" was the result of Will Smith doing rewrites of "12 Years a Slave"
Posted by SoFla Tideroller
South Florida
Member since Apr 2010
39242 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 8:24 am to
Burt Reynolds has turned down some significant roles. Terms of Endearment, for one. Supposedly, was approached to play Han Solo, also.
Posted by WaltWhite504
Member since Sep 2021
2108 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 8:30 am to
quote:

I recall stories coming out during award season that year about how Tarantino kept tweaking the story during filming, even to the point of redoing the final scene, because of the way Foxx played the role.


This statement is true. QT would film during the day, write all night, and hand out new sides every morning. He allowed a lot of ad-libing, specifically from Jamie and Sam. This was not true for Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill where actors had to read the script like it was the bible. QT did not get the exact casting he wanted in those films ether, but that all happened in pre-production and the script was finalized before filming.

Django was a mess. Casting decisions happened on set, with at least three big actors being fired on set and forcing rewrites. Walton Goggins had like two lines and one day when QT fired a movie star, he turned to Walton and said - do you want the part? Filming went way too long, and both crew and actors had to leave because of scheduling conflicts. Christoph and Leo were killed because they were holding up productions at other studios and told QT - this is my last day. This was the main reason the ending changed, but certainly Jamie's take on Django being more "hip hop" frustrated QT.

I was a guest on set and will likely never tell some of the things I witnessed, but the movie QT wrote for Will and the final product with Jamie are two very different films. I know QT was and still is friends with Will. Jamie (and Kerry) was a studio choice.

Also - I have seen a director's cut of the film that is over an hour longer than the one the studio made him release. One day everyone else will too.
This post was edited on 6/17/25 at 8:32 am
Posted by Fun Bunch
New Orleans
Member since May 2008
128105 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 8:37 am to
I hadn't heard much of that.

What movie stars did he fire?
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
20820 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:30 am to
Awesome insight. Would love to drop a popcorn emoji asking for more details, but respect your decision to keep it at that.

quote:

Also - I have seen a director's cut of the film that is over an hour longer than the one the studio made him release. One day everyone else will too.

Do you know why it has yet to be released. It's been 13 years, waiting on a specific anniversary?
Posted by UnluckyTiger
Member since Sep 2003
41838 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:45 am to
You’d think after turning down Matrix he would’ve learned from his mistakes and chosen Inception. Sounds like he’s a legit dumbass that can’t comprehend those two movies
Posted by WaltWhite504
Member since Sep 2021
2108 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:59 am to
quote:

Do you know why it has yet to be released. It's been 13 years, waiting on a specific anniversary?


QT has a deal where the copyright on Django reverts back to him after 20 years. I haven't heard anything, but i would guess he is waiting on the bigger payday.
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
58967 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 11:10 am to
quote:

WaltWhite504


Thanks for sharing
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
20820 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 11:16 am to
Makes sense
Posted by WaltWhite504
Member since Sep 2021
2108 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 11:19 am to
quote:

What movie stars did he fire?


Kurt Russell was fired after saying something insensitive during a scene involving slaves. It was a production call.

Sacha Baron Cohen was fired after pestering Leo multiple times about how one could apply to be in the Pussy Posse. I'm not sure how Sacha got on set, but he was supposed to play the role Leo's friend Jonah Hill had to leave. QT just cut the scene after that.

Harvey had hired Lady Gaga to play Leo's sister without consulting QT. Harvey brought her to set and insisted QT recast the role. They fought. Gaga left. Probably for the best - who knows what Harvey would have done to her.
This post was edited on 6/17/25 at 11:20 am
Posted by 0x15E
Outer Space
Member since Sep 2020
14735 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 1:16 pm to
quote:

You thank God every day that Will Smith turned down the Matrix?

Do you set an alarm to thank Him for that, or do you randomly happen to think about The Matrix, or Will Smith, once a day in order to give thanks?

What an odd thing to say.


This post is equivalent to:





Posted by TT9
Seychelles
Member since Sep 2008
90701 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 1:39 pm to
quote:

Will Smith has turned down some really big
thought this was going somewhere else.
Posted by Adam Banks
District 5
Member since Sep 2009
36502 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 2:03 pm to
quote:

I was a guest on set and will likely never tell some of the things I witnessed, but the movie QT wrote for Will and the final product with Jamie are two very different films. I know QT was and still is friends with Will. Jamie (and Kerry) was a studio choice.



Very interesting.


Obviously it becomes kinda the sort of unprovable legend but IYO what would have been the better film-the planned script of the alterations with foxx
Posted by BCLA
Bossier City
Member since Mar 2005
8956 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 3:02 pm to
quote:

Will Smith may be sort of a piece of shite in real life, but he's an excellent actor, especially back then.


The scenes from the Fresh Prince where he reconnected (then was abandoned) with his father popped up on my Instagram feed today and god damn he and Uncle Phil absolutely put on an acting clinic. People forget how good he actually was.
Posted by SEClint
New Orleans, LA/Portland, OR
Member since Nov 2006
49480 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:53 pm to
Good

All those films were better because of it
Posted by SEClint
New Orleans, LA/Portland, OR
Member since Nov 2006
49480 posts
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:59 pm to
quote:

quote:
I wanted to make that movie so badly, but I felt the only way was, it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story.”



Confirmation that he is gay


And that he knows nothing of Blaxploitation and 1970s revenge films. Melvin Van Peebles, Fred Williamson, Jim Kelly and Pam Grier would have beat the shite out of Will Smith.
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
155579 posts
Posted on 6/18/25 at 6:54 am to
quote:

I was a guest on set and will likely never tell some of the things I witnessed

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