The 'Men in Black' actor explains his reluctance to play Django in the western movie, 'Django wasn't the lead, so it was like, I need to be the lead. The other character was the lead!'
- Mar 26, 2013
AceShowbiz - Will Smith actually had a chance to shine at the 2013 Academy Awards through critics' darling "Django Unchained" but he rejected it. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the "Men in Black" actor admits he turned it down because he needed to be on the lead.
"Django wasn't the lead, so it was like, I need to be the lead. The other character was the lead!" the father of two opens up, recalling his reaction when getting the offer from director Quentin Tarantino. "I was like, 'No, Quentin, please, I need to kill the bad guy!' "
The role as the slave-turned bounty hunter eventually went to Jamie Foxx. In the Oscar race, the titular character was considered as the lead, despite Smith's initial thought that it wasn't. There is no bad blood though. The "Hancock" actor has nothing but praise, "I thought it was brilliant. Just not for me."
The western movie received five nominations at the 85th annual Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It eventually took home two Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz due to his brilliant portrayal as Django's mentor and sidekick Dr. King Schultz.
