17. Will Smith - Neo (The Matrix)
Believe it or not but Keanu Reeves was actually the 6th or 7th choice to portray Neo in the Matrix. I admit this does seem unlikely, given the highly astute casting, but it is true that Reeves was not even in the frame as the favoured choice of the Wachowski's. Amongst the priorities was Men in Black star, Will Smith. (Others considered were the likes of Nicolas Cage and Leonardo Di Caprio.) Smith was approached by the filmmakers regarding the role of Neo, however after comprehensive negotiations between the triad, Smith cold-shouldered the role over skepticisms concerning the film's advanced special effects, especially the use of "bullet time. Instead he went onto star in Barry Sonnenfeld's Spaghetti Western Wild Wild West, alongside Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh. Smith later disclosed that "he would have messed up the role" of Neo if he had accepted it, and despite the film's ground-breaking cinematic status, he has since shown no public signs of regret regarding his decision. However, perhaps Smith's embarassment became more apparent upon the wide release of Wild Wild West, which was met with wildly negative reviews, going onto win 5 Razzie Awards in the process and widely recognised as his worst ever film.