Will Smith Explains Why He Passed on ‘Inception’

June 16, 2025

Will Smith is reflecting on a missed opportunity. The superstar actor-rapper has had well-documented successes over the course of his almost 40-year career in entertainment, but in a recent interview with radio station Kiss Xtra (via HuffPost), the former Fresh Prince explains that he missed the boat on a sci-fi hit film from director Christopher Nolan.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said it publicly but I am going to say it because we are opening up to one another,” Smith says. “Chris Nolan brought me Inception first and I didn’t get it. I’ve never said that out loud. Now that I think about it, it’s those movies that go into those alternate realities… they don’t pitch well. But I am hurt by those, too.”

Inception isn’t the only blockbuster Smith has famously passed on over the years. Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and The Matrix from the Wachowskis are also among some of his biggest passes.

Back in 2019, the Men In Black star explained his reasoning for skipping The Matrix. The directors’ pitch for the technologically-advanced effects and cameras just didn’t land well.

“We’re thinking like… imagine you’re in a fight,” Smith said, recalling how they explained the groundbreaking visuals. “You, like, jump. Imagine if you could stop jumping in the middle of the jump. But then, people could see around you 360 degrees while you stop jumping. We’re going to invent these cameras and then people can see the whole jump when you stop in the middle of the jump.”

On the music front, the Grammy-winner just released his latest album, Based On A True Story, in March. His newest single is “Pretty Girls,” featuring Obanga.

He’s set to hit the road on his very first headlining European tour, kicking off June 25 at Mawazine in Rabat, Morocco, before continuing through France, Italy, Germany, and the U.K.