4. Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise And Leonardo DiCaprio Were All Considered For The Role Of Neo
Just as the role of Morpheus just wouldn't be the same without Laurence Fishburne, so too is Keanu Reeves synonymous with Neo. But Reeves was far from the Wachowskis' first choice - given that his star was waning at the time The Matrix production started gaining traction, plenty of bigger stars were offered the part before it finally went to him. Everyone from Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp to Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio was reported to have been offered the part, either turning it down on account of production clashes, or - most often - because the fees they were demanding were far too high (Will Smith allegedly requested $15 million, as well as wanting Neo to have a girlfriend and crack jokes). Ewan McGregor was reportedly the Wachowskis' favourite, but having just signed on to Star Wars the part went to Reeves. The rest is cinema history.