The Matrix could have looked very different, as a host of A-list stars turned down the role of Neo before Keanu Reeves was cast (via Screen Rant). Written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix became a surprise cultural phenomenon when it was released in 1999.
Neo was a career-defining performance by Keanu Reeves. Reeves is so iconic in the role that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in that leather duster, but it took quite a while to settle on the casting of the main role, with a notable lineup of Hollywood’s biggest stars turning down the part before Keanu took the reins.
🍿 Leonardo DiCaprio: initially enthusiastic about the project, DiCaprio decided he didn’t want to tie himself to yet another big-budget, effects-heavy film so quickly after Titanic.
🍿 Will Smith: the actor decided to make Wild, Wild West instead, feeling he wasn’t the right actor for the Wachowskis film.
🍿 Sandra Bullock: there was a moment where Warner Bros. and the Wachowskis considered altering Neo to be a woman just so they could land Sandra Bullock. Bullock acknowledged the script was strong but didn’t think she was right for the part at the time.
🍿 Nicolas Cage: Cage was approached, but ultimately declined the role, citing family obligations.
🍿 Brad Pitt: Pitt noted that, at the time, the film was pitched to him as a single movie, not a three-picture trilogy, though he suggested that wouldn’t have affected his decision to pass on the role, and he happily admits the part was made for Keanu Reeves.
🍿 Val Kilmer: the producers of The Matrix really wanted Val Kilmer for something. After Kilmer turned down the role of Neo, he was offered the role of Morpheus instead, which he also declined.
What do you think? Any of these alternative picks suit your fancy?
