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Actress Jada Pinkett Smith reportedly first hoped to joinThe Matrixfranchise in the very first film and auditioned for the role of Trinity, while her husband, Will Smith was offered the role of Neo. While that alternative universe would surely have been whack, the couple could not do their roles, and Carrie-Anne Moss took up the role of Trinity.
However, Pinkett Smith finally joined the franchise inThe Matrix Reloaded, playing the part of Niobe. She went on to play the part in the sequels,The Matrix RevolutionsandResurrectionsas well as the video gameEnter the Matrix. While the role was written with her in mind, she reportedly had one condition that needed to be fulfilled for her to join.
The Wachowskis happily agreed to Jada Pinkett Smith’s clause while offeringThe Matrix Reloaded
The Wachowskis’The Matrixwas a revolutionary sci-fi film at the time of its release and had a cultural impact like no other. The concept of the world living in a simulation was not explored in the mainstream the way they did the performances of the cast, with actors like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne really selling the whacky premise.
However, the cast was not easy to find and the Wachowskis approached several actors for all the roles. While the story of Will Smith being offered Neo and him rejecting it forWild Wild Westis well-known, his wifeJada Pinkett Smithtoo reportedly auditioned for the first film but lost the role of Trinity to Carrie-Ann Moss. She eventually featured inThe Matrix Reloaded.
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The character of Niobe, played by Pinkett Smith, was reportedly written with her in mind and was offered to her by the Wachowskis. Already a fan ofThe Matrix, Jada Pinkett Smith reportedly loved the role and laid out her one condition for joining the franchise, which the Wachowskis agreed to. She said to theChicago Tribunal,
What I loved about Niobe was that she was created for me. … I met the Wachowskis for the first ‘Matrix,’ so I really didn’t need to read anything when I was told ‘They created this character for you.’ ‘Really? Any nudity?’ ‘Nope.’ ‘All right then! Let’s get it on!’
The actress had reportedly stopped doing n*dity on screen since the birth of her son, Jaden Smith. Even if the films demanded intimate scenes, she reportedly filmed them with her clothes on (viaLegacy Talk).
Jada Pinkett Smith reportedly urged Will Smith to doThe Matrix
One of the most interesting alternative castings in pop culture history has beenWill Smith for the role of Neo. The Chosen One is impossible to imagine with Keanu Reeves as the face but the Wachowskis actually approached Smith with the role, which he admitted was not a good pitch at the time and he ultimately chose to doWild Wild West.
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However, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that she had tried to convince him to do the role because she knew how incredible the story was. She said toEW,
I knew it would be revolutionary. I was like, ‘Will, you’ve got to do this movie!’ He didn’t fully get it, but I did.
While Jada Pinkett Smith got to be a part of the franchise later, Will Smith had to resort to alluding toThe Matrixand the legend surrounding his casting in a recent music video.
The Matrixis available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Jada Pinkett SmithThe MatrixWill Smith
