Laurence Fishburne turning down Pulp Fiction cost him another major role

[Lefty Gunz]

fukk Tarantino, they didn't want to pay him $1M for a lead on a $300 million movie? Fishburne made the right decision and banked off the Matrix. He didn't end up with SLJ's career, but he was never going to be him anyway.

That was for Die Hard. Not Pulp Fiction

 

[Geek Nasty]

That was for Die Hard. Not Pulp Fiction

Yeah but they said they turned him down because they didn't want to pay him the $1M. SLJ was their cheap backup, so he got less than that.

BTW, Bruce Willis got $15 MILLION and they were counting couch coins to pay LF Euromavens take control

 

[Rigby.]

Too many variables to say Fishburne woulda had the same trajectory, but damn, he basically opened the door for Sam's reign in a way.

 

[Rigby.]

I've tried to see Will as Neo ever since I heard that he turned it down and I just can't see it for some reason

Jesse Eisenberg would be a better Neo than Will, and thats not me disrespecting Will's range

 

[Max.]

Fish: Give me a mill or else

Hey this is the studio were gona pick sam L
Instead


Fish

 

[Bruce LeRoy]

That role was destined for Sam to play. No one else was going to put what he did in that role and deliver those lines the way he did.

I feel where Lawrence Fishburn was coming from tho.. He was coming off critical acclaim starring in Deep Cover at around this time, also look at how many potentially great actors you see stuck in supporting roles and they never end up breaking through.

He took his shot at a leading role in Bad Company...It's a gamble picking roles., unless your rubbing shoulders with great directors the way Leo and Brad Pitt do.. Sometimes you have directors who are lauded as great but then put out a movie that's a dud every once in a while. And othertimes you have directors who are seen as mediocre put together a great movie.

 

[Able Archer 83]

I’m not sure Smith playing Neo works. Neo was a great role for Reeves because of the muted personality Neo has. Smith has too much personality for that role. Smith works best in roles his charm and charisma can shine through. Also without Fishburne as Morpheus the Matrix is trash.

I was going to post the exact same thought in re: Keanu. I also think that Reeves brings a certain level of vulnerability that Smith wouldn't be able to muster. Like, in both Speed and the Matrix, Reeves acts as if he's almost overwhelmed by the chaos that's going on around him, yet never fully goes over the line into losing it (save for the breakdown in Speed after his partner is blown up). While Smith can show vulnerability, I think he's too confident, too self-conscious to tow that line. Like in Enemy of the State; there was never a moment where I felt he wasn't in command of the situation.

Blazing saddles/BTTF 3....but yea will was an idiot for that one...think part of the reason was soundtrack money...he wasnt going to make a song for matrix.

IMO, Will's fatal flaw as an actor is his reluctance to take chances or relinquish control cf. Django Unchained.

This is neither here nor there, but I remember a story about some woman who was on her last legs, dying of cancer, so this one adult Make-A-Wish foundation asked her what she wanted before she died. She said she wanted to meet Will Smith, her favorite celebrity. She didn't get to meet Will, but he did take the time to send her a personalized videotape of the making of Wild Wild West. On one level, it's nice that he took the time to make the tape; on the other hand, what a terrible final gift.

 

[HipHopStan]

Will talked about turning down Neo last year.



As a matter of fact, he brings that fateful decision up every few years. I think that's his biggest regret as far as career choices go.

 

[Zero]

Just like I understand why Will turned down the Matrix, that movie was a risk.

For Wild Wild West though?

 

[ChatGPT-5]

I loved him in The Signal. a personal favorite indie flick he was in. nikka was creeping me out, in fact the whole movie is traumatizing. this is the ending of the movie, if you want to be shocked I suggest not watching, but if you don't like indies or sci fi, or want to see what it might be about, watch the trailer, altho it gives no clues and are just random shots lol. they leave you in the dark, thats why the ending is shocking.

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

For Wild Wild West though?

He thot it was a safe surefire hit.

 

[ORDER_66]

Can y'all just imagine the multiverse fukkery... If they swapped everything... Laurence Fishburne doing the ezkiel 25:17 speech and Samuel L Jackson as Morpheus?!?! If I could jump through the multiverse and see this shyt on blu-ray I would...

 

[Elle Seven]

I don't how he thought that was a good move. Name one good western comedy. aint none.

Tombstone wasn’t a comedy? I was every time Kilmer was on the screen.

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

Jesse Eisenberg would be a better Neo than Will, and thats not me disrespecting Will's range

 

[((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL]

For Wild Wild West though?

He prolly just seen it as an opportunity to fukk Salma Hayek for a few months