Why Will Smith Turned Down Django Unchained
Having been Quentin Tarantino's first choice for the lead role in Django Unchained, Will Smith has spoken out at a roundtable interview for THR regarding his reasons for declining the role, which eventually went to Jamie Foxx.
"It was about the creative direction of the story," Smith said. "To me, it's as perfect a story as you could ever want: a guy that learns how to kill to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave. That idea is perfect. And it was just that Quentin and I couldn't see [eye to eye]."
He continues: "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." The actor was weary of the film's violence. "I just couldn't connect to violence being the answer. Love had to be the answer."
Jamie Foxx's performance in the film was ultimately solid, and the film is better for not having paired two creative sets of eyes who didn't have the same vision.
Source: Collider
